Mac Jones Stayed Late Throwing to His Rookie WRs After a Voluntary Workout. So Shines a Good Deed in a Weary World.
Today was the second day of Patriots OTAs opened to the media. And the very first thing Bill Belichick said when he got to the podium was a day of pulling light duty after he apparently ran the horses pretty hard Monday:
Which makes sense. As I pointed out after the first workouts in front of the media, this would have been the third or fourth, if Joe Judge didn't violate rules and keep everybody working past quittin' time. So knowing that the union rep has already written you up, it makes sense to put everyone on Skeleton Crew/Vacation Week duty so you don't risk getting docked again. Besides, it's still the first week of June, and the guys could use more of a walk-through speed instructional day with no heavy lifting.
Just don't tell that to the most important player on the roster. He was having none of this light workload horseshit. He's got the whole world doubting him. Blaming him for last year's shambolic performance by his entire offense. And talking like 2022 Mac Jones is the real Mac Jones, and not the one we saw be the best rookie quarterback in the league in 2021 and lead Alabama to a 13-0 National Title the year before that. He's a man on a mission to prove the haters and the Baily Zappe stans wrong.
And that mission involves a lot more than letting Bill O'Brien whack him with a Civil War muzzle-loading cannon ramrod. It consisted him of staying after class to do the sort of extra work no one can ask him to do under the CBA. Or even suggest he should. On a day when no one could even hint that it is helpful for guys to show up at all, Jones outworked everyone on the roster:
Masslive - The Patriots sixth day of OTAs ended on Tuesday around 1:15 p.m. After sprints and a team stretch, players, coaches, and staff members exited the practice field and went into Gillette Stadium.
As the team’s 90-man roster dispersed, Mac Jones took four rookie receivers aside and put them through another workout. The Patriots quarterback then threw to Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Malik Cunningham and Ed Lee. The rookies were running shorter routes and then Jones split them up with two going deep on the left side with the other two deep on the right part of the field.
Around 1:35 p.m., the four rookie receivers met with Jones in the middle of the field before departing for the locker room. … When the receivers left Jones started to throw to an unidentified Patriots staffer. …
The only other person on the field at this point was a member of the ground’s crew, armed with a weed wacker. A few minutes later, Jones’ session ended. By 1:50 p.m., the third-year quarterback quietly walked back into the stadium.
Last week Jones talked in his press avail about earning the respect of everyone in the building. And this is precisely how it gets done. Not with words, but with deeds. By working the way the GOAT I referenced used to when he was winning the coveted parking space next to the door as the guy who put the most into the offseason program. Back when he was the guy who would frustrate Rodney Harrison because he simply would not - could not - be beaten to the gym in the morning. When he was constantly on the lookout for someone who'd run routes for him long after the others had already come out of the shower. Which is to say, before life, family obligations, side businesses and just the challenge of being in his late 30s started to take a toll on him and he'd skip OTAs altogether.
Jones has almost as much to prove as anyone in the league. To his doubters, to his teammates and coaches, and no doubt to himself. And he's already off to the start all of them needed from him, going 7 for 8 in full squad throws and looking once again like he is in full command of O'Brien's New England/Alabama scheme. Just as importantly, he's way ahead of schedule when it comes to earning that trust he mentioned last week:
While at the same time, showing the new receivers on the roster how things are done around here under his leadership.
The talk all of last year was that there's something wrong with Jones. Like he wasn't done dirty by the same coaching situation that frustrated every last one of us. If that's you, and you think it was all on him, I think you're insane. But just for the sake of argument, let's agree you're right. (Which you are not.) But Ben Hogan used to say that "The solution is in the dirt." Meaning that when your game is screwed up, get out to the range and keep working on it until you get it fixed. There is no other way. And Jones is going that very thing. Putting in the time. Making the effort. And outworking every last sumbitch to prove you wrong. I'd say I can't wait for the season to start, but I'm way too into his process to speed things along. It's going to be a hell of a comeback.