Peter King explained why he was impressed with Mac Jones’s performance against the Bills
"Not bad for a guy everyone in six states has been screaming to bench."
The response to Mac Jones: The Patriots managed a 29-25 win over the Bills on Sunday in which besieged quarterback Mac Jones orchestrated a late touchdown drive to give his team the lead.
It was a performance from Jones that might not have entirely won over his critics — it’s just one game — but maybe eases some of the pressure for a moment.
Longtime NFL reporter Peter King cited a specific quality that he recognized in Jones after the unexpected win.
“I think it was refreshing to hear Mac Jones not feeling beaten down by the Belichick coverage in New England in the last few weeks,” wrote King in his weekly “Football Morning in America” column for NBC Sports. “After playing his best game in the league in nearly two years in the 29-25 upset over Buffalo in Foxboro, what was clear to me was how Jones, as expected, is good at compartmentalizing what really matters in football: leaving the outside stuff at the locker-room door. Business is business. Don’t let outside stuff interfere with it.”
King credited Jones for offering an effective riposte to the skeptics.
“On this day, Michael McCorkle Jones played one of the best games of his young, pressure-packed career, completing 83 percent of his throws with his best passer rating (126.7) in almost two years. Not bad for a guy everyone in six states has been screaming to bench.”
Scores and schedule:
The Patriots scored a 29-25 upset win over the Bills on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Bruins also won on Sunday, defeating the Ducks 3-1. Boston will face the Blackhawks in Chicago on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.
Also this week, the Celtics begin the regular season on Wednesday (7 p.m.) against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
More from Boston.com:
- How the Patriots found a way to ‘bother’ Josh Allen without Judon and Uche, and other final thoughts
- If Patriots wants to build on Sunday’s shocking win, Demario Douglas needs to be a featured playmaker
- Bill Belichick shut down a contract question, but followed up with a joke about his golf game
- Report: Bill Belichick signed ‘lucrative, multi-year’ extension with Patriots last offseason
- ‘I’ll worry about that later’: Bill Belichick downplays notching 300th regular-season win
- Watch: Bruins rookie Matt Poitras scores his first two NHL goals to lift Boston to win over Ducks
- What the Patriots are saying about Mac Jones’s game-winning drive against the Bills
- Celtics sign big Nathan Knight to 2-way deal
- Derek Forbort’s presence felt as stingy Bruins continue to stack up points
A first for Poitras: The rookie scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game for Boston. He later added a second in the eventual win.
A celebratory postgame photo:
On this day: In 2004, the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals 11-9 in Game 1 of the World Series. David Ortiz continued his incredible October run with a first inning three-run home run.
And after St. Louis tied the game 9-9 in the eight inning, Mark Bellhorn hit a two-run shot off of Pesky’s Pole to give Boston the lead for good.
Daily highlight: What else could it be but a game-winning touchdown from Mike Gesicki?
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