FOXBOROUGH — Mac Jones has only been a member of the Patriots a few months and hasn’t started a game — not even in the preseason — but he already has the respect of those in the huddle with him when it comes to being the leader of the unit.
This can be difficult for a rookie to do, especially with a number of veterans playing key roles, but Jones has managed.
Offensive tackle Trent Brown gave an example when speaking to the media Wednesday.
“If the play doesn’t go exactly right or how we drew it up in the meeting room, and we get out there and it doesn’t go exactly as planned, he’ll — on his own, without Coach saying anything — he’ll say, ‘Do it over,’” Brown said. “And with some authority. As a young guy, that’s pretty cool to see.
“Him coming from (Alabama), it’s not really surprising, but him being a rookie in the huddle with guys that are much older than him — he just turned (23) this week — it’s pretty cool. I’m excited to see him grow.”
Why is Jones like that? Because he wants to be as close to perfect as he can.
“I think practice, especially, you have a picture of how it’s supposed to go in your head, and you want everything to be perfect,” he said. “It’s not always going to be perfect, especially in the games, but sometimes I’ll mess something up and I’ll be like, ‘Dang, let’s just run that one back.’ Even if it was one little thing, just to make sure we’re good on it. The goal is to not have to do that at all, but it happens, and it’s part of practice.
“In practice, you want to close the gap on perfect. So if we can try to get it exactly how we want it, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Jones’ ability to take control shows up most when the team is put in hurry-up situations, which the Patriots did to the rookie a great deal this summer.
That’s been when he’s has been at his best.
“Just the will to win — wanting to win and just wanting to be right,” Brown said. “I think that’s pretty special for somebody that’s so young. But it’s not surprising considering where he came from. … I think it’s pretty cool, just because him being a rookie quarterback at the head of the offense, head of the team, you don’t have to baby him. He can handle his own, and I think that’s pretty cool — the coolest part about it.”
Jones will make his starting debut Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium against the Dolphins.
