One game does not a career make.
Nor a season even.
But watching what Mac Jones was able to do for his Patriots in Sunday’s improbable, impressive and entertaining comeback win over the Bills was the stuff of legend.
And for the first time in almost two years, the stuff that might give Jones’ fans and defenders something to truly believe in.
It could also give his harshest, most vocal critics at least a momentary pause.
In leading New England to its second win of the season – its first in front of the home Gillette Stadium crowd – Jones was about as impressive as he’s ever been on an NFL field. It was a good taste of Alabama Mac, the quarterback getting better protection from a new-look offensive line that included Mike Onwenu solidifying the right tackle spot and more playmaking from his weapons, including sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas.
Jones had more time to throw and more open guys to find.
Not coincidentally, he looked every bit a more capable and confident quarterback.
In putting together a game-winning, comeback drive in the final two minutes against a quality opponent that’s won the AFC East each of the last three seasons it was a performance that none of us – fans or foes alike – had ever seen from Jones. Maybe something some of us wondered if we would or could ever see from the much-maligned third-year quarterback.
And yet here we are on an honest to goodness (no Moral needed) Victory Monday in New England, suddenly feeling better for the momentary time being about the local football squad and its still suspect “franchise” quarterback.
On a day when so many New England legends from legendary days gone by were on hand in Foxborough to honor newly inducted Patriots Hall of Famers Dante Scarnecchia and Mike Vrabel, Jones put forth the kind of performance that’s expected of quarterbacks in New England, expected of first-round picks and expected of NFL passers who expect to retain their jobs and build their own respectable resumes.
All told Jones completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. He completed his first throw of the afternoon to Douglas for 9 yards to jumpstart an opening scoring drive. He completed his final throw of the day on his 1-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki to pull out the victory after marching 75 yards in eight plays over the course of 1:46.
He celebrated that throw, the biggest little throw to cap the biggest drive of his professional career with an intentionally awkward Griddy with Gesicki in the end zone.
Smiles all around. Celebration found Foxborough for the first time in seemingly Forever.
Afterwards Jones, who was benched twice in the last month in historically ugly losses in Dallas and at home against the Saints, was obviously happy with himself, his line, his playmakers and the team’s much-needed win.
Finally he and his mates were rewarded with some fruits for their labor as the group has labored through a start to the season that neither Bill Belichick nor Robert Kraft had ever had to live through. Jones, as much as anyone, has remained as even-keeled and optimistic as anyone in the organization despite his reputation for emotional outbursts built on the frustrations of his 2022 campaign.
“It’s hard when the results aren’t there,” Jones admitted afterwards. But on this day they were there. “I’ll always believe in myself. I have a lot of confidence in myself. And I’m not going to sit up here and say it every time. But I do believe in myself. And I do that through work and all that stuff. That’s why football’s the greatest team sport. It’s the quarterback, you go as your quarterback goes. So for me, just continuing to be the same guy every day and just be Mac.”
On this day, Mac came up big. He injected hope and life into a seemingly hopeless fan base that had resorted to wearing paper bags over their heads with at least some rooting for a tank job that would lead to a high draft pick and new quarterback.
And Jones as much as anyone knows that success the NFL can be fleeting. That a Pro Bowl playoff rookie season can lead to career-submarining sophomore campaign. That in professional sports success is measured in consistency, not in one-off aberrational performances.
“It’s just one game, right? I always say that regardless of the results. Got to do it again,” Jones said, beating his many critics to the critical punch.
Does Jones’ work against the Bills wipe out his terrible play against the Cowboys or Saints? Nope. Does the win over Buffalo erase a year and a half in which Jones looked like he was playing his way out of the league rather than into a second contract? Hell no.
But it gives just a hint of reason to believe. For him to believe in his process and his work. And for outsiders to wonder if maybe, just maybe, there is a capable leader and performer still to be coached up in this former No. 15 overall pick who once upon a time, long, long ago was seemingly on track toward an impressive NFL career.
Jones’ description of his feeling as he took the Gillette turf and the huddle needing a game-winning drive might as well describe his career in the coming weeks and months. From his own perspective, and from those around him both inside the football world in Foxborough and throughout the far reaches of Patriot Nation.
“Half of it’s just belief. And the other half is execution,” Jones concluded.
You tell ‘em, Mac.
Better yet, show ‘em.
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