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Former Patriots QB Mac Jones dominates in first start with 49ers
"They said go out there and rip it. If I do that, then I know what type of player I can be.”
It was a good afternoon for Patriots quarterbacks — past and present — on Sunday.
While Drake Maye (19-of-23, 230 yards, three total TDs, zero turnovers) posted his best performance to date in New England’s 33-27 win over the Dolphins, former Patriots signal-caller Mac Jones also dominated on the gridiron for the 49ers.
Jones, playing in place of injured Niners QB Brock Purdy, made the most of his spot start against the Saints, completing 26-of-39 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in San Francisco’s 26-21 win over New Orleans.
“Felt good. A little rocky early on,” Jones said postgame on the FOX broadcast. “But we got it going and I just felt like myself again. “Shoutout to the guys. All week they had my back. They said go out there and rip it. If I do that, then I know what type of player I can be.”
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Jones has had a tumultuous career in the NFL since New England first drafted the QB out of Alabama with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones spent three seasons in New England — regressing from a Pro Bowl rookie campaign and eventually getting benched during a 2023 season where he threw 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 11 games.
He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2024 season in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick. His lone season with his hometown team wasn’t fruitful, as Jones threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions across 10 games (seven starts).
He signed a two-year deal with the 49ers this past offseason, joining an offense in the Bay Area that helped revitalize other quarterback careers like Sam Darnold in 2023.
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So far, it looks as though Jones had found his footing with his new team — alongside former Patriots teammate Kendrick Bourne.
Bourne, who signed with San Francisco on Sept. 9 after being released by New England in August, reeled in three catches for 32 yards in San Francisco’s win on Sunday. Bourne had the best season of his career in 2021 with Jones as his QB, recording 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
“It’s still ironic that we’re teammates and stuff like that,” Bourne said of Jones postgame. “That connection is there, the trust, the understanding, and things like that. Just having his back — when he comes my way, just trying to be in the right spots. Glad to be playing with that guy again. It definitely helped the transition for me.”
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