Was Mac Jones calling out a certain wide receiver after loss to Dolphins?
Following their loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night, Mac Jones seemingly called out his teammates during his postgame press conference. On Wednesday’s Felger and Mazz, Mazz theorized that he could possibly have been calling out Trent Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
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Was Mac Jones calling out his teammates on Sunday?
Mazz: Okay, so I’ll start with this, that in all probability it’s more than one player. Now, how many? I don’t know. But after the news of last night, I’m starting to wonder maybe Trent Brown’s on that list, too. That he was sort of, you know, more focused on his contract and now it’s, “well, are you playing or not? Are you sticking around extra time at practice? I don’t know. You’re more worried about your contract. The season has started. We got games to play.”
So I don’t know how many people are on the list, but if I were a betting man, I’d tell you JuJu Smith-Schuster is on the list. How much did we talk during the offseason about the fact that he and JuJu Smith-Schuster never threw?
Felger: Yeah. So is that a work ethic thing or was Smith-Schuster injured?
Mazz: Well, okay. Either or. And if he is injured, is he doing everything possible to come back?
Felger: Maybe not.
Mazz: So I just think that that’s part of it. And I’m sorry I go back to that play in week one on fourth and three when he turned the wrong way and for Mac Jones to bring it up in a game or bring it up after a game in week two tells me that he looked at that and says, “that was a big play and you went the wrong direction because we’re not putting in enough time to figure out the offense. So we’re not on the same page. I wanted to throw with you over the winter and you didn’t want to do it. Now you’re cutting out after practice early?”
And again, I’m just surmising here. I’m not telling you I know that. But if you were to ask me, of all the receivers, who Mac has the biggest disconnect with, Bourne’s probably one based on what Bedard has told us and Smith-Schuster. Bourne has been here for a few years and by all indications the relationship with Mac is good.
Felger: Yeah, they’re tight off the field.
Mazz: So I don’t think it’s him.
Felger: On the field apparently he keeps running the wrong way.
FOXBOROUGH, MA: Mac Jones of the New England Patriots reacts after officials overturned a spot to turn the ball over and end the game at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 17, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Mazz: So maybe he is at practice and he’s still getting it wrong and there were just limitations there. Maybe that’s it. But with Smith-Schuster, it’s hard to not connect the whole thing during the offseason with you know they didn’t throw.
Felger: And also they were too cheap or something to pay Mac Jones his favorite receiver and replace him with this guy.
Mazz: Another good one.
Felger: So that’s you know, Mac Jones looks at that and says, “well, this is….”
Mazz: “This is my replacement and the guy won’t put time in”.
Felger: For some reason. You wouldn’t pay the guy that’s our most reliable guy. And probably, you know, as a undrafted guy, really hard working all that. Jakobi Meyers checked all the boxes probably, and for some reason they didn’t want to give him the money. So you gave me this guy for the same money and he’s either damaged goods or doesn’t work. So like, yeah, I mean, you could see that.
Mazz: Mike they’re two games in and they’re already talking about people not putting the time in. Two games in.
Jim Murray: I definitely think you’re on to something with Trent Brown, though. It can’t just be one guy. It can’t just be JuJu Smith-Schuster. So if it’s a few guys, Trent Brown with what’s going on there and now he’s magically back on the practice field today after that deal got done, he had to have been part of that.
Mazz: And Murray, the way he made the comment, it can’t just be a couple of guys who do it. Meaning the majority aren’t. Right. Again, he’s probably exaggerating or, you know, but even so, it’s not just two or three. Probably it might be more than that. And again, two games in. Two games in and the quarterback is already saying that we’re not put enough time in. That’s scary.
