Mac Jones, eager for a ‘fresh start,’ gets the edge over Bailey Zappe on Day 1 of training camp
"I think that’s the big word for this training camp is trust, and that’s going to come through trial and error. "
There was a moment after practice when Mac Jones let his sense of humor shine through.
A reporter asked Jones why he thought the Patriots could still be a destination for the remaining free agents on the market after swinging and missing on DeAndre Hopkins.
“Honestly, that’s above my pay grade,” Jones said with chuckle, drawing laughs from media members surrounding him. “Maybe one day.”
Jones got off to a rough start during the first day of training camp, throwing an interception to Kyle Dugger on his first snap. He went 1-for-3 during 7-on-7 red zone drills after Jahlani Tavai batted down a pass intended for Mike Gesicki. His lone completion of the series went to Ty Montgomery.
But, he eventually settled down and fared better when the team went 11-on-11 in the red zone, going 4-7 in the later round.
He zipped a well-placed throw in the back of the end zone to a sliding Hunter Henry for a touchdown. He caught new addition Juju Smith Schuster on an open quick slant. He found Rhamondre Stevenson and Montgomery for short completions.
Overall, it wasn’t the sharpest performance from Jones. But it was enough to edge past Bailey Zappe, who went a combined 4-for-11 in the sessions.
Jones looked more comfortable by the end of practice both on the field and at the podium, where he gave an update on where his relationship with Bill Belichick stands.
“I think we’re good. I think the biggest thing we’ve all talked about is just having a fresh start,” Jones said. “I think there’s a lot of learning experiences from last year that we talked about. This year it’s all about working together. You’ve got to come up with a plan, talk about it, and then execute it. I’m excited about that part of it, for me it’s trying to be really consistent try not to ride the wave and stay my course. Hopefully everybody on our offense feels that too.”
Jones praised Belichick for his ability to break down defenses and explain concepts that can help quarterbacks. He feels that the offense has a “good mojo” going under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
He said that it’s on him, as the quarterback, to reestablish the trust needed to move the team forward.
“I think just for me, I’m definitely self motivated and all those things come from within and just trying to be the best version of me,” Jones said. “I hope my teammates can see that I’m just going to grind it out and hopefully I can bring a lot of people along with me, that’s the big thing, you’re the quarterback and at the end of the day when you’re on that field they need to feel confident in me and I need to feel confident in them.
“I think that’s built through trust,” Jones continued. “I think that’s the big word for this training camp is trust, and that’s going to come through trial and error. It’s going to come through good and bad. It’s not always going to be great. So, it’s having that positive mindset and staying the course, running my race, and bringing people along with me.”
The Patriots spent the bulk of their scrimmage time on Wednesday working on red zone passing. New England had one of the worst red zone offenses in the NFL last season.
“I think just trying to get better in the red zone is a big emphasis every year. Since I’ve been here we’ve always started down there,” Jones said. “I know coach Belichick has always done that and I think it’s smart because a lot of defenses let you get down there, and then when you get down there they want to shut you down. So, to be able to go against our defense who is very multiple and does a lot compared to some other teams, it’s good to experience it, it’s good to watch the tape.”
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