Patriots: Mac Jones dances around crediting Stephon Gilmore for INT

The New England Patriots‘ showdown against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday didn’t have much intrigue on paper.

However, there were some compelling storylines for Patriots fans.

Not only was New England going up against a former rival in Sam Darnold, who’s now tied for the league lead with 11 interceptions after his 3-INT showing, but the team also locked horns with former cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

If you weren’t a believer in the revenge game narrative before Sunday, you probably are now, because Gilmore picked off Mac Jones.

It was incredibly predictable … kind of like Jones’ throw, which seemed to have no chance of reaching its intended target.

When asked about the turnover after the game, Jones was extremely reluctant to give Gilmore any credit for reading him like a book.

Mac Jones wasn’t about to give former teammate Stephon Gilmore credit for picking him off on Sunday.

It’s almost like Gilmore, who now has two interceptions in as many games with the Panthers, was studying during his prolonged rehab from offseason quad surgery, because he was ALL over that Jones pass.

We love Jones taking ownership of his mistakes and know that crediting opponents takes a lot of pride and soul-searching for professional athletes, but come on. Jones didn’t throw the ball right to Gilmore. It would have hit Jakobi Meyers right in stride. The rookie should have realized who was in coverage.

You don’t think Gilmore is familiar with the Patriots’ playbook? He deserves some props for jumping the route and making a play on the ball. Take another look. The former Patriots star read it the whole way.

In the end, the Patriots got the last laugh, but it was no thanks to the Patriots’ offense, which mustered just 273 total yards of offense. The passing game was especially inept (again, the Gilmore effect), as Jones finished 12-of-18 for 139 yards with TD and INT, equating to an 85.2 rating.

Again this would be a different story if Jones lit the Panthers up for 300 yards and three scores. Alas, he didn’t even break the 140-yard mark. If Darnold took better care of the football, this would have been a close game.

If Jones’ quote was any indication, it seems like the Patriots are trying to distance themselves from Gilmore as much as possible, because the former Defensive Player of the Year deserved a better salute, for lack of a better term, from his former teammate.

Patriots: Mac Jones injures Brian Burns after dirty play on fumble

The New England Patriots struggled in the first half against the Carolina Panthers, and Mac Jones took out his frustration on this play.