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It wasn't a pretty end to the preseason for Mac Jones and the New England Patriots.
The starting quarterback completed 9-0f-13 passes for 71 yards, but threw an interception and led New England to just one scoring drive in the four possessions against the Raiders' backups in Friday's 23-6 loss. Jones went three-and-0ut in two of his first three drives, with the interception sandwiched in between, before finally getting on the board with a field goal – which came against some of the Raiders' third-stringers on defense.
Jones was notably frustrated at times in Friday's loss. When he returned to the Patriots' sideline following the second three-and-out, Jones slammed a tablet once he got to the bench. After the Patriots' fourth drive stalled out in the red zone, Jones chucked his play-calling wristband to the ground.
Jones believes that the initial frustration isn't bad as long it doesn't affect his play.
“I care a lot about this game and sometimes I get a little too passionate,” Jones said. “That's a good point, to not let it carry over, and I think I did that. After the interception, I just tried to clean the plate and start fresh. Sometimes that's just getting the frustration out and moving on. I need to do a better job of just playing the next play and don't let one little play get frustrating.
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“It's the preseason and you don't know how many plays you're going to play but it doesn't really matter. You need to go out there and give your best effort every play. Sometimes it's hard to find a rhythm but it's what you've got to do regardless of how much you're going to play. We can do better about that and we will.”
"I care a lot about this game and sometimes get a little too passionate."
Mac Jones on getting out his frustration during loss to #Raiders pic.twitter.com/uohGua8vWy
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) August 27, 2022
Jones was constantly under duress during his four drives in Friday's game, getting sacked twice and dealing with pressure numerous times. However, he took the onus on letting the Raiders' pass-rush get the better of him and the Patriots' offensive line.
“I’ve got to do a better job of stepping up and delivering the throws,” said the Patriots gunslinger. “…I’ve got to do a better job of just getting the ball out and just stepping up in the pocket and getting the ball out instead of running around and putting my line in a bad position. That’s something I pride myself [on].”
In seven preseason drives, the Jones-led offense hasn't had much success. They've only scored 10 points and have four three-and-outs. The running game has struggled while the Patriots' best offense has come out of the shotgun because it buys Jones more time to complete passes.
Mac Jones isn't panicking, yet.
“I hate saying it’s the preseason, but there’s a lot you can learn from preseason games,” Jones said. “It’s not like we’re in the middle of the season here. You want to peak when you want to peak. Right now we’re where we are. We’re just going to keep growing and climb the mountain.”
“We’re trying to get it all together and it’s going to happen,” Jones said. “We want to go out there and execute better. That’s all it comes down to. Individually, I think we can all play better and then once that happens collectively it’ll look a lot better.”
