Patriots

Despite the loss to the Colts, Mac Jones earns positive remarks from Rex Ryan

Ryan was a fan of how Jones played in the fourth quarter after going down 20-0.

By Conor Roche

December 19, 2021

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email

Rex Ryan hasn’t been the biggest fan of Mac Jones this season, but the former Jets and Bills coach changed his tune on the rookie following the Patriots’ loss to the Colts on Saturday.

Jones and the Patriots were able to make things interesting, scoring 17 straight points in the fourth quarter after going down 20-0. The Colts scored a touchdown on the drive after the Patriots made it 20-17, giving Indianapolis a 27-17 lead as Jones’s efforts ended up being too little, too late.

But the fact that Jones was able to help make it a one-score game after being down by such a large deficit is what impressed Ryan.

“I will say this about New England, about your Patriots: Look, I was laughing about the peashooter and all that type of stuff,” Ryan said on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown”, via NESN. “But, he showed me that in the fourth quarter — that’s one thing he had to answer. Could he bring a team back? He did bring his team back. So, to me, that’s gotta be encouraging as well for the Patriots.”

After throwing two picks in the first three quarters, Jones threw a pair of touchdowns to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter. He ended up completing 26 of 45 passes for 299 yards.

Jones also made some impressive throws down the stretch. In the third quarter, he made a completion to Henry while he was on the run, throwing across his body to get the first down on a third down play. The completion was a crucial part of the Patriots’ first touchdown drive of the day.

Jones’s most impressive throw of the day came late in the fourth quarter. On a 3rd-and-six from the Patriots’ 42-yard line, Jones found N’Keal Harry deep for a 43-yard completion. On top of that, Jones was drilled by Al-Quadin Muhammad right after he threw it, drawing a roughing the passer penalty. The Patriots scored their second touchdown of the day three plays later.

But Jones isn’t taking any solace with how he performed in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss.

“I just don’t think it was our best effort,” Jones said. “It starts with me just throughout the week. We didn’t have a great practice every day, so it is what it is. You just have to move on and keep your head high and keep working, because no one’s going to feel sorry for ourselves. If you feel that way, then – you just can’t do that, and you just have to move on and work harder. That’s all you can do is just work harder.”