Sunday wasn’t an easy day at the office for Mac Jones, as he and the Patriots offense struggled to crack the Chargers defense at times. During one difficult stretch, Jones completed just two of the 13 passes he threw. He finished the day 18-of-35 for 218 yards, no touchdowns and a seemingly unimpressive 70.9 passer rating.
But when it mattered most, Jones did what was needed to win, including going 4-for-4 on the Patriots’ 14-play, seven-minute drive in the fourth quarter that ended with a field goal to make it a two-score game and essentially put the bow on what would ultimately be a 27-24 win.
Making his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show Monday morning, CBS analyst and WFAN host Boomer Esiason said it’s that resiliency and ability to step up late, no matter how tough a game has been going and no matter how much pressure the defense puts on you, that really impresses him when it comes to Jones.
“I’m sure he was a little frustrated yesterday. I’m sure he was a little glassy-eyed at the beginning of the game. But as the game wore on, I thought he made better and better plays,” Esiason said. “A couple plays late in the game, he took a couple shots as he was releasing the ball and found the right receiver. Those are the key plays Tom Brady made his entire career.
“These are the types of things you want to see from your young quarterback. When the game is on the line, the momentum shifts, you need a big play for a first down, and you have to do it and you have to stand in there in the face of a heavy pass rush without panicking, this is where Mac Jones gets an A+ as far as I’m concerned.”
Click on the audio clip at the top of the post to listen to the full interview with Esiason, which also includes his thoughts on the Patriots’ defense, the AFC playoff race, and Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
