Mac Jones shows true colours with "confidence" claim amid Bailey Zappe battle
Mac Jones has expressed the confidence he has in his ability amid his battle for the New England Patriots' starting quarterback spot with Bailey Zappe.
The 24-year-old played 14 games as the Patriots starting QB last season and will need to ensure he keeps up his game or Zappe could take the spot. But during a chat with the NFL Network, Jones expressed his belief both in himself and his teammates to play their best football ahead of an important season for the franchise.
“You have to have a confidence about everything you do,” Jones said. “It’s 11 on 11 for us an offence, and we have to put our best 11 out there and go out there and dominate. That applies to special teams, defence, and it all comes together. So I feel like the team aspect is definitely there and we have improved on that.
“We’re just trying to come together and be brothers and from that point, you can plan for everything and have an answer for anything so hopefully that’s the case.”
Last season Jones threw 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, down from the 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions he registered in his rookie year.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
A tumultuous campaign for the Patriots saw them finish third in the AFC East as their offence struggled. But after resigning offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien this offseason, Jones is looking forward to having an improved campaign and also improving the mental aspect of his game.
"I feel like he's done a great job communicating," Jones said of O'Brien. "That's been the number one thing for us, open, honest communication. From there you just correct the things you need to get better at." He added: "Just making sure you're honing in on everything you can do to be a great teammate, be a great leader, learn from people, right?
"You can learn from whoever it is, Navy Seals, whatever. People who do the toughest things all the time. I just want to learn, and I feel like I've done that this offseason, but I want to apply it every day to the field and just continue to be a leader. Because, at the end of the day, it's our 11 guys versus their 11 guys and that's all it is. So, we got to make sure we feel confident and I definitely feel that but just have to keep going."
Head coach Bill Belichick is entering his 24th season in New England, and he has not tasted victory in the playoffs in each of his last four campaigns. This marks the longest run of his illustrious career and he will want to change that next year and hopes Jones will have a strong season.
Jones has spoken about improving the mental aspect of his game during the new season (Elsa/Getty Images)"I think you always see big strides from players going from Year 1 to Year 2 and Year 2 to Year 3, just a year in professional football and knowing how to train, knowing what their schedule's going to be, having an idea of what you're playing across from on the other side of the ball," Belichick said.
"That's pretty obvious. I would say the guys in that fourth, fifth, sixth year that really also start to make gains, we have a lot of guys like that.
"Players like that that have really taken those steps, (Kendrick) Bourne, Hunter Henry, that you've really seen grow and develop in the program. It doesn't just stop at those first- and second-year guys. It can continue all the way through."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
