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‘He’s really done a great job’: Mac Jones praises rookie Cole Strange, offensive line
"He’s always hustling to the ball and doing a great job learning the offense."
After Sunday’s 17-14 victory over the Steelers, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones praised his offensive line for their work as the backbone of the team’s offense.
“I didn’t even really get hit,” Jones marveled. “So hats off to them.”
Jones (who was hit three times, according to the box score) had a somewhat forgettable game — 21-for-35 with a touchdown, an interception and 252 yards — but he completed one spectacular touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor for a game-high 44 yards as the Patriots evened their record to 1-1 with a crucial road victory.
Notably, Jones was protected by rookie Cole Strange — the Patriots’ surprise first-round pick at No. 29 in April. Jones has been impressed by Strange so far.
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“He’s very stoic, but very competitive in his own way,” Jones said. “He’s always hustling to the ball and doing a great job learning the offense. He’s really done a great job. It’s hard coming in as a rookie and starting and he’s done a great job.
“He’s just got to continue to grow and improve what he wants to improve on. That’s what I tell him… He’s done a good job, and we’ve just got to continue to grow and let those guys mold with the five guys.”
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A reporter asked if Jones feels like the Patriots are making progress after a disappointing opener against the Dolphins.
“Really did a good job cleaning everything up, and we just have to execute better and we’ll have even more points and it won’t be as close of a game,” Jones said. “That’s the big thing, put more points on the board and continue to grow. …
“I think coaching staff did a great job with preparing us throughout the week. Obviously like you said, they put really good stuff on film. It’s a really good defense. And we just went out there and competed the best we could.”
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