Mike Reiss of ESPN joins Zolak & Bertrand in studio to break down everything from the Patriots Week 5 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Find out what Mike has on Mac Jones’ recovery timetable, how big the win was to reinforce the Patriots “program”, and just how good Rhamondre Stevenson was on Sunday.
What Reiss is hearing on the Mac Jones recovery timetable
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 25: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots looks on during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“Here’s what I understand to be the truth. He’s a little more than halfway back in his rehab process. So I guess the question would be, what number do you put it at that you’d be comfortable putting him out there? Let’s say if what I believe to be the truth is the truth, and it’s 50 to 60 (percent). To me, that’s too early. Great. Way too early to come back, but it wouldn’t shock me if he tries because he cares. He wants his job. You see someone else doing his job. You wouldn’t be human, right? If you didn’t try to come back. My gut tells me it’s too early. But I want to see what he looks like in practice. And if I was advising him, I would probably say take another week.”
A "program-reinforcing" win for the Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 09: Bailey Zappe #4 of the New England Patriots and David Andrews #60 of the New England Patriots walk off the field after their team’s 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
“I was in the locker room last week, and I was struck talking to some of the players at how upset they were and how much they cared that they were 1-3. Like they felt like we’re better than this. But I went in talking to them. They were saying, like, “we need a win”. And you need that validation to know that what they’re asking you to do can produce the results. And it’s one thing to say whatever you say, if you don’t get the result on Sunday, it’s hard to keep buying in. That’s my belief on it. And so that’s why I think that this win was a program reinforcing win because it buys them more time. And, I think it buys more belief. Like, ‘okay like this can work’.”
Rhamondre Stevenson was Corey Dillon-esque on Sunday
Patriots running back #38 Rhamondre Stevenson runs for a big gain after getting a block from #71 Mike Onwenu in the 4th. (Syndication: Providence Journal)
“That performance we saw from Rhamondre Stevenson. That was one of the best running back performances that I’ve seen covering the team over Belichick’s tenure. You know, he played the last 45 snaps. And it wasn’t just the 161 rushing yards. He had two blitz pickups. They had two passing third down conversions. And on both of them, Stevenson with big time blitz pickups. And on the Agholor interception, which wasn’t on Zappe, that guy wasn’t down and Stevenson is just like a missile going at Elliott the defensive back and his helmet flies off. So you put all those things together. That was that was amazing. That was like Corey Dillon-2004-esque.”
