


Mac Jones is taking the fall for this one.
After Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was seen giving his quarterback an earful at a recent practice during a two-minute drill, Jones explained that the criticism was on him after Belichick wanted the team to score a touchdown on the drive, not just a field goal.
“So, we scored on the two-minute drive with a field goal, and then we just wanted to try a situation again,” Jones said. “We just kind of redid the situation, I guess. That was fun, I guess, but it was my fault. I think it was just a miscommunication between all of us.
“But it was fine. It was a good learning experience. It’s too hard to explain in football terms to the media and stuff, but it was like a nuance, because we kind of repeated a situation we just did, you know what I’m saying?
“So that’s what we need, though, so both teams can get the situation, try and practice it and then do it again to get it right.”
Jones, 24, has yet to be named the official starter for the Patriots but seems locked into starting duties after two years at the helm of the offense.
The young signal-caller impressed in his first season after being selected No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft, throwing for 3,801 yards and earning a Pro Bowl nod.

But Jones regressed last season, playing in just 14 games after an injury, throwing for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Belichick’s insistence on scoring a touchdown makes sense after the team continuously struggled to find pay-dirt last season, finishing last in the NFL in red zone touchdown scoring percentage at 42.22%.


The Patriots offense also ranked 17th in the league in points per game with 21.4, finishing 8-9 and third in the AFC East one year after making the playoffs.
New England added Ezequiel Elliott to shore up their running back depth in free agency, adding the veteran back to supplement Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield.