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Getty Mac Jones
On Saturday night, the Buffalo Bills left no doubt in declaring themselves the best team in the AFC East and a legitimate threat to reach the Super Bowl next month.
Buffalo took the rubber match over their bitter rivals the New England Patriots by the lopsided score of 47-17. New England’s rookie quarterback looked like a player in his first postseason as the crowd noise on the road in Buffalo and the frigid temperatures led to some ineffectiveness.
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After a strong opening drive that ended in an interception in the end zone by the Bills’ Micah Hyde, Jones and the Patriots’ offense could only muster 3 points in the first half. They added two fairly meaningless touchdowns in the second half, but nothing could stop Buffalo’s onslaught.
After the game, Jones met with the media to sadly discuss his performance in his first playoff game.
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Mac Jones: “I Was a Rookie, and Played Like That Sometimes”
Jones doesn’t deserve all the blame for the Patriots’ failures. As a matter of fact, the majority of the finger pointing should be directed at the defense which was horrendous against the Bills.
Still, just as the quarterback of a team often gets more credit than they deserve, that whole concept is a double-edged sword. Jones, as he has done the entire season, didn’t try to escape accountability.
“For me, obviously, I was a rookie and played like that sometimes and I shouldn’t have,” Jones admitted. “I could’ve played better. That’s my goal this offseason, just to advance and bring the guys along with me.”
Here is a look at Jones’ post-game interview:
Jones was probably a bit too hard on himself, but he carried the same emotional, verge-of-tears demeanor he’s had after most of the team’s biggest losses. That’s something he’s going to need to work on next season.
Losing isn’t great and no one wants a player or leader on their team who doesn’t mind losing. However, the strongest leaders usually have a better handle on their body language after losses.
How the Patriots Lost This Game
The Patriots’ defense was terrible. The Bills scored TDs on all 7 offensive possessions. When a defense simply fails to prevent an offense from getting into the end zone the entire game, there is no real way to win.
New England needed to have a strong start, and that didn’t happen. They were down 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Patriots needed to establish a run game. They failed to eclipse the 125-yard mark which had been a magic number for the team this season.
Also, the Patriots turned the ball over twice which has also been a poison pill for New England. All those things mixed together was a recipe for a 30-point whipping.
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Source: Heavy
