FOXBORO — The last time Mac Jones spoke with the media, he talked about how much he hated losing to the defense during practice.
At that point a week ago, the losses were coming every day, in every 11-on-11 period. And the frustration level appeared to be soaring with the second-year Patriots quarterback.
Jones said the daily poor performances, from himself included, was like taking a shot to the heart every time he walked off the field.
Even after a weekend off, the offense looked no better on Monday. In fact, it was worse than the previous week.
It was so woeful, people wondered when, or if, Bill Belichick would pull the plug on the new offense, with all of its new wrinkles, or at least, bail on some of the changes.
That’s how bad it’s looked the past few weeks.
But after hitting rock bottom, Jones and the offense rose off the mat on Tuesday and had a better day. Not markedly better. Just better.
The run game, typically stopped in its tracks, found some daylight, with both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson getting free. The offense, as a whole, seemed a bit sharper.
And that allowed everyone to breathe a bit and gain a bit of confidence in what they’re doing in adapting to a different scheme, with a set of new coaches who have never coached offense before.
It wasn’t a night-and-day type improvement, but Jones sounded and looked like a different man.
“We’re close,” he said following the workout, when asked to assess the offense. “We just gotta get there, and buy in, and trust it, and do what we’re supposed to do, and do our job.”
Maybe it’s reached the stage where Jones & Co. are just resigned to the fact this is how it’s going to be, and are trying to make the most of it. Maybe the unorthodox three-headed coaching contingent of Belichick, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge have made it clear they’re going to stick with the new offense, so they better learn and adapt, or bust.
Whatever the case, Jones clearly changed his tune. Or had someone strongly suggest that would be the better course.
After a brutal stretch of practice sessions that left him stewing with his head down on the sideline, Jones was clearly more upbeat, speaking about the trials and tribulations of the offense.
His disposition was better, along with his message.
“I think we’re close on a lot of things. It’s just that two percent that we need to fix,” said Jones. “I think we’re going to figure it out. It takes time and patience. I think we’re making a lot of progress, so it’s good.”
Two percent sure looked like 2,000 percent on Monday. Everything looked in need of repair.
But Belichick opted to slow the pace down a bit for the competitive drills on Tuesday, not to mention keeping it basic and simple. That allowed the offense to get its footing. So maybe, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Practically every word Jones uttered had a positive spin.
Since he’s now the leader of the offense, it was a welcome change.
The team won’t embrace the new offense if the quarterback doesn’t. It seems Jones received that message loud and clear.
He was adamant about making the new offense work. There was no hesitation. That was the constant theme in practically every answer. It was almost like Jones having a personal pep rally.
Patriots training camp Day 14: Mac Jones gets time to break offense’s slump, fight breaks out
“I’m going to figure it out. I always have, and I always will,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’re going to have your ups and downs with anything new, but I’ve learned a lot of different systems, and the guys around me have, too.
“We know what football looks like,” he went on. “We know what a good play looks like and the schematics behind it. It’s not just the result, it’s the process of how it looks.”
Starting with the offensive line making blocks, the receivers getting open, the backs finding the creases, and Jones delivering the football.
They all have to be on the same page. If one guy doesn’t do his job, the play is sunk.
“We all trust in each other. At the end of the day, when there’s 10 people that look into my eyes, I know they’re going to trust me to do the right thing on game day.”
At least, that’s what he’s counting on.
He’s betting on himself to get it right, along with the rest of his teammates.
There’s really no other choice with the underlying notion that Belichick isn’t going to bring in an experienced offensive coach to fix it, or simply go back to the old scheme.
While Jones admitted his patience was being tested, they just have to stick with it.
“I care a lot about the guys around me, when I don’t produce, or when we don’t produce together,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a little frustrating, for whatever reason, it takes 11 people. If one guy doesn’t do his job, me included, it doesn’t work.
“We’re trying to get 11 people to do it right, and do it right consistently.”
Come hell or high water, Jones is all-in. That was what he conveyed on Tuesday.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to figure it out, and make this thing work,” he said. “We have good coaches that are laying the path for us. We just have to see it, how they see it, and come together, and dominate together.”
Or bust.
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