07 October 2023 , 23:28
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick believes Mac Jones has the right mentality to bounce back from a miserable Week 4 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones and the Pats were completely overwhelmed at AT&T Stadium last Sunday, suffering a 38-3 defeat to slip to 1-3 on the year. Jones threw for 150 yards and two interceptions before he was benched, with backup Bailey Zappe not enjoying any success either on a day to forget for Belichick and his team.
With the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills setting the pace in the AFC East, the Pats are in need of a win against the New Orleans Saints on home turf at Gillette Stadium on Sunday to get back on track. A better performance from their quarterback will be required if the Patriots are to claim a morale-boosting victory.
And Belichick believes Jones is in the right frame of mind to put last week's woes behind him and lead his team to victory in Foxborough.
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“Anybody who plays or coaches in this league has not-so-good performances somewhere along the line,” Belichick said. “So, part of the job, part of the situation, every week’s a new week. Mac’s pretty mentally tough. So is everybody else around here. I mean, you have to be in this league.
“If it just goes from bad to worse, then you’re not going to be around very long. We all get knocked down, got to get up and go back in the ring.”
A chastening week for the Patriots started with the beatdown in Dallas, and it worsened with injuries to star defenders Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon. Gonzalez, the Pats' first-round pick, had been putting together an impressive rookie year.
Mac Jones was benched after throwing two picks in Dallas in Week 4. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)But the cornerback's season is over after suffering a dislocated shoulder in Dallas and being placed on injured reserve. JC Jackson has returned to Foxborough in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers to fill the void in the roster.
Pass rusher Judon, meanwhile, suffered a torn biceps in the defeat and he required surgery a few days later. However, he has not been placed on injured reserve and could return to action in December.
That is scant consolation for Patriots fans, though. Although they have seen some incremental improvements on offense with Bill O'Brien calling plays after last season's struggles, the Pats are one of the NFL's least dynamic offenses with a shortage of playmakers.
There is significant pressure on Jones to limit his mistakes to keep his team on track as a result because he lacks the equaliser of a bonafide number-one receiver.
Jones has thrown for 898 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in four games. The Patriots' only win came against the New York Jets in Week 3.