Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Marcus Jones’ ‘ruthless’ record-breaking day gave Patriots spark they needed
“Golly, it's fun seeing that."
For most players, the sight of two opposing players bearing down on them on a punt return would have prompted the call for a fair catch.
Of course, most special teamers aren’t quite like Marcus Jones.
“I’m pretty ruthless back there,” Jones said Sunday of his decision to run with the ball from New England’s 13-yard line.
It didn’t take long for the Carolina Panthers to witness Jones’ playmaking capabilities firsthand.
With New England in need of a lift after a flat start to Sunday’s home matchup against Carolina, Jones gave his team new life.
Advertisement:
As both Akayleb Evans and Thomas Incoom homed in on Jones on the punt return, the shifty returner cut to his right — shaking off Evans as he clasped in vain to his left leg.
Jones then shifted back to his left as three Carolina players converged on him, with the All-Pro talent spotting plenty of green grass in front of him.
From there, Jones’ natural instincts took over.
“It’s pretty simple. Run fast — don’t get caught,” Jones said.
Seconds later, Jones had scampered 87 total yards down the other end of Gillette Stadium, completing an 87-yard punt-return touchdown and shifting momentum back in favor of his team.
Advertisement:
Jones’ special-teams score didn’t just flip what was an early 6-0 Carolina lead into a 7-6 advantage for the home team. That first-period sequence gave New England the push it needed to rattle off 42 unanswered points en route to a 42-13 win over the Panthers.
“I had someone on my leg for a little minute, but then I got out and I was like, let me try to find some blocking and everything,” Jones said. “But I commend my teammates, because they never stop whenever they could, and you know they block the guys that we do need to block for sure to end up opening that lane.”
On an afternoon where Drake Maye (14-of-17, 203 yards, 3 total TDs) and New England’s offense capitalized on their chances, it was Jones who helped the Patriots build a lead that they would not relinquish.
“Golly, it’s fun seeing that,” Maye said of Jones. “You kind of always know, I think when he’s back there, you’ve got a chance to get a great return. I think the best thing about it, it makes you feel comfortable when he’s back there making a great decision, whether it’s touchback or whatever he’s doing. I sure hope they keep kicking it to him because he’s fun to watch.”
Advertisement:
Along with his 87-yard score, Jones nearly found the end zone again later in the second quarter, reeling off a 61-yard return that would have ended with another TD before Carolina punter Sam Martin — the last line of defense — tripped him up at the Panthers’ 14-yard line.
Just four plays later, Antonio Gibson punched in a ball just one yard out to give New England a 28-6 lead just ahead of halftime.
“I think that’s what we’ve been looking for,” Mike Vrabel said of Jones’ playmaking capabilities. “I talked about that throughout training camp and how those return units need to be a weapon for us. We’ve got the one kickoff return, but to be able to do that on the punt return, fantastic effort by Marcus and everybody else out there.
“I think a lot of that was just his own individual will, skill, and effort. Again, that has to be a weapon. It was something that we felt like could be through this season and getting ready for this year.”
Jones’ afternoon was more than just a catalyst for a much-needed Patriots win. It also landed him in the record books.
Advertisement:
Jones closed out the game with three punt returns for a total of 167 yards, the most by a Patriots player in a single game in team history, surpassing Mike Haynes’ old record of 156 (Nov. 7, 1976).
Jones also tied Julian Edelman for the most 60-plus-yard returns with four — while joining WR Gunner Olszewski as the only Patriots since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to have multiple 60-yard punt returns in a single game.
As the Patriots try to build some momentum entering next week’s primetime matchup against the Bills, Vrabel stressed that a player like Jones will be critical for a Patriots team will need all the help it can get against a team life Buffalo.
“He’s not the biggest player, but he’s got great play strength, I think, with the football in his hand,” Vrabel said. “He’s got great vision, and, again, you have to be fearless at some level to catch that punt and know that you’re going to make the first guy miss. We’re confident in that. I think he kind of just — it’s just a natural skill.
“It’s hard to teach. It’s hard to teach with all those bodies in traffic and catching it first and making great decisions with it back there. It’s a lot of comfort with him back there, and we need to continue to make it a weapon.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com