Mac Jones reacts to preseason debut, praises Matt Patricia's playcalling originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots offense had a rough start in Friday night's 20-10 preseason win against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots were playing most of their offensive starters for the first time since last season's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. They went three-and-out on the first two possessions against the Panthers' second-string defense and quarterback Mac Jones misfired on his first three pass attempts.
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The tide turned on the third drive when Jones hit wide receiver Nelson Agholor for seven yards on a third-and-5 play to finally pick up a first down. The Patriots marched into the red zone after Jones connected with Agholor again for a 45-yard completion down the left sideline.
"I think it was a good playcall. (Agholor) went up and made a good play," Jones said. "I had plenty of time to throw it. By that time, we were moving the ball a little bit, so it was a good explosive play for a touchdown drive. That's important for putting points on the board. It was a good catch, too."
Three plays later, Ty Montgomery ran up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead.
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"It was a little bit of a rocky start, but that's kind of how it goes when you haven't played for a little bit," Jones said. "You just have to continue to play. The guys on our team, we came together and kinda operated and didn't freak out or anything, just carry on, get our mojo back and keep moving forward. It was a good drive."
Here's how Patriots' starters fared in preseason win over Panthers
Jones was done after three possessions. He finished 4-of-8 for 61 yards and was sacked once.
"There wasn't any timetable or anything. I just knew I was going to get a chance to play," Jones said of his playing time. "So I just went out there and did that. It's the preseason, we want to get a lot of players looks and stuff. I got a chance to go out there, work with the offense and get everyone on the same page here. That's what it's all about."
A lot has been made of the Patriots' playcalling situation throughout training camp and the first two preseason games. Matt Patricia called the plays Friday night, and it was his first time doing so with Jones in a real game setting. Jones seems pretty pleased with how the process has gone so far.
"I think Matty has done a great job. He's one of the most brilliant people I've ever been around, in terms of football knowledge," Jones said. "Between all the coaches, they've done a great job preparing us. He's really starting to get a feel for it. That's the thing, just growing each week and making sure we can stack good days together. He's very easy to talk to on the sideline -- an easy, laid back coach but he demands a lot, and I respect that about him. Hopefully we can grow for a long time."
The Patriots will travel to Las Vegas next week for two joint practices and the third and final preseason game against the Raiders.
