Patriots may have just uncovered their season-saving special teams star

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Patriots' special teams this offseason, especially since Mike Vrabel chose to keep coordinator Jeremy Springer on his staff, despite the turnover with every other coach from the Jerod Mayo era. The unit performed well during the preseason, but became more of a liability once the regular season finally began.

The biggest problem continued to be at kicker, with rookie Andy Borregales looking like a potential mistake, on top of issues with the typically reliable punter Bryce Baringer, and tackling becoming more of a problem each week. What hasn't been problematic, however, is the return game, which has now been officially taken over by cornerback Marcus Jones.

As if he hadn't already proven he was the right guy for the job before the 2025 season, he further solidified his role on Sunday with an 87-yard return touchdown in the first quarter to put the Patriots ahead early on.

It was exactly what the team needed after a rough defensive start and an opening 3-and-out by the offense, as it swung the momentum in their favor and led to the Patriots going on a tear going into halftime.

Fortunately, Jones' performance didn't stop there, either, and there's still plenty of time for him to add even more impressive play to the game.

Marcus Jones is proving to be the special teams weapon the Patriots have long needed

Adding to an already standout day for the cornerback, Jones added another incredible return late in the second quarter with a 61-yard run that was just inches away from being another touchdown.

If it weren't for the Panthers' punter, he would've added another six points to the Patriots' day.

Considering all the problems the Patriots continue to face at the start of this season, seeing a resurgence from their special teams couldn't have happened at a better time, especially this week, since it seemed to light a fire under the rest of the team.

Their defense appears to have finally come alive, and the offense is clicking on all cylinders, proving they can be a solid team when playing complementary football.

The problem they continue to face, however, is the need for time to get started. That cannot be part of their identity moving forward, as it won't work against far more competitive teams, and they're not a roster built to overcome being too far behind.

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