PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK MAC JONES

PRESS CONFERENCE
November 2, 2022

Q: Good afternoon.

MJ: How's it going?

Q: Good. You?

MJ: I'm good.

Q: What do you see from this Colts defense?

MJ: Yeah, I think this is, once again, one of the top defenses in the league. Great front, great backend, great linebackers. They got the players and obviously it's a little newer scheme compared to last year, with Gus Bradley, but they've obviously done a really good job this year in tackles for loss, pressures, and all that. They're getting back there to the quarterback, and it's just a really good defense. We've just got to be ready to go.Q: Mac, you mentioned after the game on Sunday that you put in a little extra work last week with some of the guys, is that one of those things that's just carrying over into this week, just putting in a little extra to go into this Sunday?

MJ: Yeah, I think you want to just find ways to improve as a unit and as an offense. Whatever we can do to communicate better and get on the same page is important. We have our meetings every day, but we also want to make sure that we go through plays that maybe we didn't hit in practice or looks we might see in a game. It's always good to get the extra mental reps. You might not get it on the field, but if you can talk through it and get it in the film room, that's always good.

Q: Mac, what's it like, the journey to strive for consistency as you go about what you're trying to improve on, on a daily basis?

MJ: Yeah, I think consistency comes with hard work and execution really. You've got to be able to do it every day. It obviously starts in practice and that's the important part. But, yeah, we definitely want to be more consistent and that kind of goes back to your process as an individual player. What can I do to be a better quarterback and how am I putting myself in a position to do that? It's kind of individually focused and then with that, when one guy does it, then you've got to get all 11 guys to do it. That's where the consistency comes from.

Q: Do you think, Mac, you guys are still trying to figure out in some ways, who you are offensively?

MJ: Yeah, I think that's part of it. I think every week there's a different game plan, which is good. That's how we've been around here. We try to attack defenses and with our defense, they try to attack their offense. We always have a little bit of things we want to do extra or differently for a certain week, but for the most part, we know what we want to do. We want to improve on the areas that we weren't good. Whether it was the last week or in the past couple of games and just improve. Definitely a lot of things to improve on, and we're just going to try and fight to do that.

Q: What have you seen from Rhamondre [Stevenson] in pass protection and pass route running?

MJ: Yeah, I think our backs have done a great job. [Rhamondre] Mondre [Stevenson], he's a really, really good runner with the ball in his hands. Whether that's catching or getting the handoffs. He's done a really good job in pass protection. He's a strong, big, big, dude. Definitely happy with him there and obviously, Damien's [Harris] the same way and the younger backs and everybody. They've watched them and they've done the same stuff. All the backs know what to do, know how they're supposed to do it, and then obviously it's always good to see them putting in good effort on pass protection, which sometimes goes unnoticed, but it shouldn't, you know? It's a really big part of some plays.

Q: I imagine one of the things you guys wanted to improve upon was the turnovers. What do you see? Is there anything you can put your finger on with the turnovers? How eager are you guys just to play a clean game on Sunday?

MJ: Yeah, I think that's important. The ball is number one. We have to do a better job with that, and I do too. So, definitely just watch the tape and see what we can do better. But they're part of the game. You just have to move on from them. We're trying to identify how we can be better, and that's the important part, right? You just go about your day and run the play how it's supposed to be executed. if it's not there, then just throw it away and move on to the next play.

Q: We talked to Matt [Patricia] last week. He mentioned you guys had a long conversation about the three levels of throws and when you want to make those throws.

MJ: Yeah.

Q: Do you feel like you're finding a better balance with that as a group on how you attack those and hit all three levels of the field?

MJ: Yeah I think, as always, short, medium and long. However it comes, it just goes down to taking what the defense gives, whether that's the short, or the medium or the long. If your long guy's open then you want to give him the ball. If he's not, then work through your progressions, things like that. But it always goes back to taking what the defense gives.

Q: What are you seeing from [Stephon] Gilmore?

MJ: Yeah he looks great. I think I was here with him just for a little bit. Obviously he was injured and stuff. He looks great out there. He's just a great cornerback. Still is. You can tell they're putting him out there, and he's locking down the guys for the most part. Just covering them one-on-one. Just doing his thing. He's definitely still a premiere cornerback. I have all the respect in the world for him and how he treated me when I was here young. Just some of the information he gave me in the training room, just at his locker. He's definitely an all-time dude. Excited to go against him again here.

Q: Talk about some of those short throws Mac. We saw it looked like some of the RPOs Sunday, that we asked about maybe a month ago that you liked in college. They're cool I think is how you described them. Is that something you'd like to do more of moving forward? Is that just a game plan thing? Or is that something you guys think you'll be able to build on?

MJ: I think that just depends on the week and how we want to attack. You look at the NFL and every offense is running, for the most part, some version of them. Some people are RPO heavy. Some people just have a dose of them. Can't be your whole offense. But definitely just adds a different layer to your offense. So want to be able to do whatever we want at anytime in the game. Run the ball, throw it, play-action, RPO, etc. Definitely need to improve in other areas too to kind of allow those plays to happen. But those are good plays overall.

Q: I remember last year you were talking about dink and dunk and maybe the reigns being on the passing game. You said something to the effect of you'll never go broke if you always take a profit. Is that still a general philosophy of yours?

MJ: Yeah. It will always be that way.

Q: Where does that come from? High school?

MJ: Yeah actually my high school offensive line coach. Coach Lance [Picard]. He told me that. He used to call me Sunshine. So he would say like, 'Sunshine, you'll never go broke taking a profit.' So we ran the Wing-T. So if the back was open, give it to him, and let him get the five, ten yards and good things will happen. All good.