QUARTERBACK MAC JONES

VIDEO PRESS CONFERENCE
December 29, 2021

On the effect of Brian Hoyer going on Covid Reserve:

MJ: Not to speak for him or anything, but he's been helping us, just like he would be on any other day. He's always helped me throughout the week, just getting ready, hopping in there, getting his reps whenever he can, doing all the things he can to help us win. I know we've talked and all that. We're just going to keep game planning and take his advice like I do every week.

On the precautions he is taking to protect against Covid:

MJ: I think it just goes back to controlling what you can control and just trying to follow all the rules and all that. Like you said, some of it is out of your control, but just follow the rules, try to keep distance, and just listen to the medical people that we have on our team that have been telling us what to do just to make sure that we're safe.

On his relationship with Trevor Lawrence:

MJ: I've known Trevor going back to high school, some camps, and stuff like that. He's a great quarterback. He's a great person. I know he's a great leader. Obviously, we're both rookies and we're learning along the way together, but it is fun to watch the crossover tape and see how well he's been doing and all that.

On learning from New England's coaching staff:

MJ: Learning from whoever I can, whenever I can, that's important. I think everyone that's a good player tries to do that and I'm trying to be a good player. I want to learn from not only Josh [McDaniels], Bo [Hardegree], and all the coaches, but anyone I can who's been in the NFL for a long time, whether that be a defensive guy, somebody on offense, or somebody on special teams. I'm still learning. I try to learn every day, have a positive mindset, come in, work, and get better.

On if he sees a pattern in how defenses are starting to play him:

MJ: Every team has their M.O. and what they want to do just like every offense does. Some people pressure more. Some people play zone. Some people play man. I think every week is just different. This week, I know the Jags have a good defense and they bring a lot of different looks, a lot of different pressures, spin-the-dial, and all that. It's what they do, they're really good at it, and they bring a lot of pressure. We know we have to be ready for it. Every week's different, so I can't answer from the past. I know what we went against, but every week's different. 

On if he knows John Madden as a coach, broadcaster, or video game title:

MJ: All of the above. Obviously, that was sad news to hear. Just being a kid and knowing who he was, knowing what he meant for the game of football, obviously, that's sad news to hear. I just want to send my prayers to anyone that knew him or had a relationship with him, including his family. Obviously, he meant a lot to football and will always mean a lot to football. Whether it's the video game, the coach, the broadcaster, he did it all and he meant a lot to a lot of people.

On what hand-written notes mean to him:

MJ: I think hand-written notes are personal versus a text or email. I don't have a preference necessarily, but I've always been taught that when you sit down and write a note to whoever you're trying to communicate with, it means a little bit more, so I'm not sure where your question was going, but hopefully that answers it… That's one way to communicate. It just depends on the person I guess.

On how he stays even-keel in the midst of winning and losing streaks:

MJ: Like I always say, just focus on what's important to you. That's coming into work everyday and doing your job. Obviously, there are going to be ebbs and flows with every season that you play. The only week that matters, if you're lucky enough to get to next week, we know that that's this week. That's all we're guaranteed. When next week comes, we'll focus on that. Our 100% focus is on this week and how we can come out, come to practice, fix the issues that we've had, try to get better, focus on our fundamentals and things like that, just so that we can focus on today today and then tomorrow comes, we'll be ready for tomorrow.

On what the message in the locker room is this week:

MJ: Football is definitely an emotional sport. It comes down to just execution. I think that's a good message. Just try to focus on what you can control. That's this week and that's today's practice. The energy was there, the positivity, whatever you want to call it. We were all ready to work. That's how it has to be every day. It's a group effort. We're trying to be able to do that consistently. That's the other thing. It's just being consistent, knowing what you're going to get every day. Coming in at this point in the year, that's all we're guaranteed is today. That's what we can focus on. I think it's just X's and O's and execution that it comes down to.

On what he has learned over the past few weeks:

MJ: I think sports, in general, are a learning experience. Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. The goal is obviously to have fun and to win. When you can do both, obviously, it makes it a lot more enjoyable. It's not to look at the big picture or anything or anything like that. We're just getting a chance to play each week. It's really important to know that we have one game every week. We can't control what happened two weeks ago. We can't control what happened eight weeks ago. We can't control what happens however many weeks down the line. I think it's just to be where your feet are, understand that we're guaranteed today, and that we have to come to work ready to go, regardless of how things went or how things might go. 

On what area he feels he needs to work on the most in order to continue growing:

MJ: I think it's just experience and you can't really teach that. Just go through it with time. Sometimes, it's hard because you want everything to be great right away and all that, but you've just got to keep working on your fundamentals. When you talk about throws, you've got to hit them over and over again until you feel comfortable. You need to get the ball to the guys that are open. That comes with preparation, practice, execution, and then, obviously, turning that into the game.