New England Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones is the real deal. The 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft once again came up huge for the Pats' Week 5 win over the Houston Texans.
On the road and down 7 entering the fourth quarter, Jones kept his cool and stayed the course. He threw a TD halfway through the fourth quarter to tie the game before the 25-year-old orchestrated his first career game-winning drive which ultimately set up Nick Folk's game-winning FG with just 15 seconds left.
“I think I’ve said it every week, just how much we believe in him. The poise you've seen out of him these first [five] weeks, I can't imagine,” starting center David Andrews said (via ESPN). “What a great win for him, what a great win for this football team. We needed it.”
Tight end Hunter Henry also chimed in. Henry, who was Jones' top target all evening, had a few key receptions in the fourth including that crucial game-tying TD as well as a huge 10-yard catch on a third-down conversion in that final drive.
Article Continues Below“He's tough, man. He stands in there,” said Henry. “It says a lot to the older guys who have been around, to be that young and stand in there and fire the ball, it gives a lot of confidence to the receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen, too.”
Despite having high expectations, the rookie is proving that he's ready for the challenge. Mac Jones is slowly growing up in front of our eyes and is looking to be the next star QB for the Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick.
“Mac's been good for us all year in terms of his leadership, his resilience, and kind of always counting on him to do the right thing. And he really does it at a high level. It's been impressive,” Belichick added.