Paul Perillo of Patriots.com joined Felger and Mazz on Wednesday for his weekly stint on the show. During his time on the show, he discussed the Mac Jones injury situation and how there seems to be a conflict between Mac and the Patriots.
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Felger: Nice team you got there, Paul.
Paul Perillo: Yeah, it’s not great. I didn’t like today’s press conference. I have to be honest.
Felger: In what fashion?
Paul Perillo: Yeah, just. I mean, the whole, you know, day by day, day by day, day by day. And I know that’s a lot of the stuff that Mac said on Monday, so I think that is a little, you know, back and forth there going on. I just feel like what happens if you’re saying he’s day by day, and I believe the reports, I’ll state upfront, you know, the Schefter, the Pelissero, the Rapaport, all of these reports that are multiple weeks, i’m believing. So, I’m just like fast forwarding a week or so and you know, you’re heading into Detroit or, you know, Cleveland and Mac still not out on the practice field and he’s not playing, what are we going to say? Well, why isn’t he out there? Where is he? I thought he was day to day? I don’t really think he’s day to day. I think he’s more like week to week, maybe even more. If you believe some of the reports that it’s closer to eight weeks, we might not see him until after the bye. And I think that, you know, Bill sort of intimated today that he wouldn’t even shut the door, that he would be at practice today, right? Probably, probably not. But, you know, he would even shut that out. I thought that was odd. And, you know, I understand both sides. The team wants him back. The team is probably pushing for this surgery, I heard you guys talking about it. I agree with you, because I think that’s the fastest track back onto the field and Mac is probably looking to see, well, if I don’t need surgery, this is my body. I’m an NFL player, I don’t want an unnecessary surgery if I can rest and be the same, but it’ll take a couple of extra weeks, maybe I’ll go that route? I see both sides, but I don’t really understand why there’s such a conflict, which from the outside, without any information, I know you think I’m a high member. I’m not. But from the outside, it looks like there’s a conflict.
Felger: If the Patriots were 3-0 and Mac Jones had eight touchdowns and no interceptions and 105 quarterback rating and they were cookin with oil, you don’t think Mac Jones would be a little more eager to get back on the field versus what’s been going on? Again, that human nature. I mean, the examples you have Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen hurts getting the procedure the next day, and coming back….They were going for national championships. They were great and they were on the stage, and so I’ll do whatever it takes to get back. You don’t think that if the Pats were in that position it’s just a little different if you were 3-0 and everything was firing and he was perfectly happy and he was crushing it that he wouldn’t try and get back sooner than what’s happening now. Like that’s just the common sense to me.
Mazz: Of course, because again, like when you take into account how this whole thing has gone down. His coordinator left, they brought two guys on who have no experience on that side of the ball. The comment that he kept making in camp, what was it? I’m a quarterback. I know what works. What doesn’t? Or something like that?
Felger: He didn’t make it all camp because after the first time he said it, I think he got clubbed over the knee.
Paul Perillo: As he kept speaking, he got more and more on board with the team. And I think you’re probably right, Mike.
Mazz: Yeah, he got called in at some point, but the initial comment.
Felger: Yes, “I know what a good play is.”
Mazz: I’ve played quarterback long enough. I know what works”. Okay. So he’s saying all that stuff at the beginning. Now he has an injury and his attitude is, are you guys kidding me? You got me a receiver who can’t diagnose cover four. Then I chuck the ball up to him and I get the interception and you blame me when he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. I’m getting the crap kicked out of me. And you want me to come back for this? Dream on. I’ll take my sweet ass time. I’ll get healthy because I’m not going to come back and get my head kicked in when were going to go 6-11.
Paul Perillo: And while this was all going on, one of Bill’s friends is calling him reckless and, you know, sort of intimating that he could get benched at any moment.
Jim Murray: Defending the coaching staff.
Paul Perillo: Yeah. And you know, to say that he’s he’s playing reckless and throwing it up, well, I watched all of training camp, I can’t tell you what they’re saying to the players and what they’re going on in the meetings. But I can tell you what I watched every day and what I watched every day was one on one ball, 50/50 balls, one after another after another, every single day, red zone, regular part of the field, let your players try to go up and make plays. So you can’t get mad then when the first time you do it against Miami, it gets picked off. That’s what you did all of camp. You threw the ball up and you hoped that Agholor or Parker or someone could go up and make a play. Now it’s on Mac Jones for allowing the player to try to make a play? And I’m not trying to be overly defensive of Mac Jones because I don’t think he’s played all that well. I think there were times on Sunday that was as well as I’ve ever seen him play. But at the same time, he made some really bad plays, too. I just thought he was more active with his legs. I thought he competed, unlike I’ve seen him in that game. I thought it was the best i’ve seen him and the worst i’ve seen him in the same game, to be honest. So I’m not trying to just tell you everything has been great with Mac Jones. But that criticism for Mike Lombardi and let’s not attach it completely to Belichick, but we know where Mike Lombardi sits.
