Mac Jones had an amusing moment on Sunday. The Patriots’ starting quarterback winked toward an ex-Pat, linebacker Elandon Roberts, just before a running play during the Pats’ 17-16 loss to the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.
You can see the moment in the video below, caputred by WPRI’s Morey Hershgordon on Twitter. Jones confirmed that it was, in fact, a wink Roberts’ way.
Unfortunately, our understanding is this came on a Damien Harris run up the middle for no gain at the start of the second quarter. That checks out based on Jones’ explanation of the wink, which he gave to reporters Wednesday afternoon in Foxborough.
Mac Jones - mid play-call - winks at former #Patriots LB Elandon Roberts😉 pic.twitter.com/31AAMKAXSw
— Morey Hershgordon (@MHershgordon) September 14, 2021
“It was just kind of fun and games,” Jones said. “It was just in the middle of the play. They actually like called out our play, so I was like, ah. Nice catch. You know. Anyways, it was just fun and games.”
The play indicated two main things: good preparation on the part of the Dolphins defense, and Jones’ deference to Josh McDaniels’ play-calling as a rookie making his first career start. Jones admitted he just stuck with the play that was called, despite the Dolphins seemingly knowing what was coming. Jones did change some plays at the line of scrimmage during Sunday’s game, as indicated by yelling “Alert!” among other calls and gestures.
“Sometimes they don’t know the answers, either,” Jones said.
The wink is certainly a sign of confidence and coolness under pressure for the rookie. Jones was 14-of-18 for 124 yards against the blitz on Sunday, a 95.4 passer rating. The hope is the next wink comes before a positive play.
Adrian Phillips' Leap
One of the clear bright spots for the Patriots on Sunday was safety Adrian Phillips, who parlayed an excellent training camp into a productive game against the Dolphins. The 29-year-old came to New England a six-year veteran with the Chargers, but credited head coach Bill Belichick and team captain Devin McCourty for helping him make an unexpected leap as a player.
“Coach says all the time – he’s been in the game 40-something years, you would think that’s a guy that’s seen everything in the book – but he’s continually learning, continually figuring out how to better himself, and I’m the same way,” Phillips said. “Being at the Chargers for six years, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the league and how I attack stuff and how I broke down film and stuff like that. But I came here with coach and being in this system, but seeing how it’s like, something totally different. Like, ‘Dang, there was a lot I didn’t know.’ It’s been fun learning, and it’s been a challenge to learn it, and I’ve accepted that challenge and used it to help me grow a whole lot more. So, I would say that I’m a way better player than I was two years ago, just from being in this system and learning something new.”
Sep 12, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive back Adrian Phillips (21) tackles Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin (37) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Phillips recorded three total tackles against the Dolphins, one of them for a loss. He most notably made two tackles during a key third-quarter drive to help force a punt.
