Last week, Patriots rookie cornerback Jack Jones nabbed the first interception of his career. It was a memorable one, a pick-six off the quarterback with the lowest interception rate in the NFL in the last 10 years, Aaron Rodgers.
While that play certainly was impressive (we detailed some of the reasons why last week here), Jones’ interception this week against the Lions hit another level.
Jones’ interception against the Packers was a target to his coverage assignment, with Jones running the route better than the wide receiver, beating him to the ball. What he did for his second career pick was as much a cerebral play as it was a physical one, as Bill Belichick explained Monday morning.
Got the feet down. Jack Jones with an interception in back-to-back weeks! @presidentjacc
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
📺: #DETvsNE on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/MoX9PRk3fw pic.twitter.com/Q6Fzwu2qRr“It’s a tough play. It’s well designed, what they were doing,” Belichick began. “[Wide receiver Tom] Kennedy was going down the seam and he was about 10 yards ahead of [tight end T.J.] Hockenson and Hockenson was going down the sideline. It was what we call a double seam play where it’s two guys going vertical, but they’re at different levels. That’s always hard on the defense.”
“It’s hard on the corner because if they’re on the same level, he can midpoint both guys, but when they’re on different levels like that, it’s hard to do that,” Belichick continued, highlighting how the design of the play was meant to put Jones in conflict. “Jack just came off of Kennedy as the ball was being thrown. Saw the throw, came off of Kennedy and obviously made a tremendous play with the interception and then being able to get his feet down inbounds.”
“It’s a good play, it’s a tough play,” Belichick noted. “Of course [T.J.] Hockenson is a tough guy to defend with those high throws like that was. He would have, I’m sure, gone up and gotten it for a touchdown if Jack hadn’t been able to get his hands on the ball. Really heads up play or just a good play by Jahlani [Tavai, who had initial coverage on Hockenson] and by Jack, of recognizing that and then Jack’s transition and ball skills, timing, jump, catch. It was an outstanding catch and to get his feet inbounds, I mean, he looked like a receiver doing that.”
Since the start of minicamp, it’s been clear that Jones is an instinctive, aggressive coverage cornerback. His mentality is one that has been successful in New England in the past, with J.C. Jackson and Malcolm Butler being just a couple of examples.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 09: Jack Jones #13 of the New England Patriots celebrates after an interception during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images)
The thing about those kinds of cornerbacks is the more football they play and the more they see, the better they get. Having a better idea of what opposing offenses are trying to do and how quarterbacks and receivers are trying to attack in coverage helps hone those instincts into being more effective.
Right now, the Patriots are continuing to rotate Jones allowing him to get that kind of experience without overly exposing him early on. He played 61 percent of the team’s defensive snaps on Sunday, his second-highest usage rate of the year after playing 99 percent last week in what was a bit of an outlier game with Jalen Mills inactive.
Even without that outlier though, his play time has steadily increased as the season has gone on. As he continues to make more plays in coverage like he did on Sunday, and he falls off routes less (he had just one such play against the Lions, allowing a 20-yard completion on 3rd & 13 in the second quarter), expect that play time to keep increasing throughout the year.
Jack Jones’ 2022 Game Log
Tack Fumb Snaps Date Wk Opp Result Solo Ast Comb Int Yds TD PD FF FR Num Pct 2022-09-11 1 @ MIA L 7-20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 18% 2022-09-18 2 @ PIT W 17-14 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 37% 2022-09-25 3 BAL L 26-37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 43% 2022-10-02 4 @ GNB L 24-27 3 4 7 1 40 1 1 1 1 72 99% 2022-10-09 5 DET W 29-0 3 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 40 61% Total 2-3-0 8 4 12 2 40 1 3 1 1 Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
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Bill Belichick breaks down what made Jack Jones’ interception against the Lions so impressive
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