Bill Belichick expresses belief in Mac Jones after win

A lot can be said about Mac Jones this season, especially as his performance hasn’t aligned with what he showed during his rookie season. But one of the most positive aspects of this year has been the unwavering support from his teammates and (some) coaches.

In recent days, several members of the team and coaching staff have expressed their belief in the quarterback, and much of that stemmed from his performance in week eight. Jones helped lead the team to a big win against a division rival on Sunday in his first return to the field as the inarguable starting quarterback. The environment was vastly different than in years past, with many more Jets fans in attendance, likely due to the team’s recent success. But Patriots fans are known to travel well and made sure their voices were heard throughout the game.

It was a nice change from the brutal reception the quarterback endured just one week ago. Patriots fans at Gillette Stadium for the matchup with the Bears vocally expressed their displeasure with Jones and demanded the return of rookie Bailey Zappe. The fan reaction and the confusing decisions made by Belichick that night stirred up a lot of controversy in the following week.

Disregarding what has been said in the media and online, Belichick remained complimentary of Jones and reiterated his support for him going forward during his media availability on Monday morning.

"“I thought Mac did a nice job. We had pressure on quite a few pass plays — more than we would like, for sure — and I thought he made good decisions. He had to pull the ball down a couple and made some key runs for us. The Jets gave us some looks at the line of scrimmage that he had to deal with in the running game; I thought he handled those well. I thought he gave us a lot of good plays.”"

Given the recent questionable actions made by Belichick regarding the quarterback position, the coach’s praise is a nice change from what’s been said since Jones’ return from injury. Sunday’s game was pivotal for Jones this season, having had a rough first three weeks before suffering an ankle sprain. The win may be the boost the team needs to continue piling up the wins needed to remain competitive in the AFC.

After watching the tape of the game, Belichick continued applauding Jones’ performance, mentioning his toughness and ability to lead the team to victory.

"“He managed our team well. That’s what a quarterback’s job is to do — to help the team win. That’s what he did.”"

Sunday’s game was pivotal for Jones this season, having had a rough first three weeks before suffering an ankle sprain. The win may be the boost the team needs to continue piling up the wins needed to remain competitive in the AFC, especially as they look forward to their matchup with the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.