FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. 'Hard Knocks' on Mac: "Hard Knocks" broadcasting during a regular season for the first time, with the Indianapolis Colts this year, provided a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of how an opponent views the Patriots.
The Colts, who beat New England 27-17 on Dec. 18, said they believed putting the game in quarterback Mac Jones' hands was their best chance to win.
"He's a good player. He's accurate and everything. But he's a rookie, so he'll do some things like this," Colts linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi said on the program, showing Colts defenders a Jones mistake. "Stop the run. Make this guy play quarterback. You guys good on that?"
Added head coach Frank Reich: "For us to go where we want to go, it's to make this rookie QB feel something he hasn't felt from a defense before. Let's get after this rookie quarterback."
And then there was defensive line coach Brian Baker, who noted: "The quarterback gets rid of the ball once pressured. It's like ridiculous. He's No. 1 in the league under pressure getting rid of the ball. He's the same as Tom Brady. Same coach. 'Stay healthy. Get rid of it. Next play.'
"We really want this guy to be anxious about people in his face. It's to pressure him, to make him hurry up everything. He has to feel this anxiety the entire game. This is the key to eliminating their passing game."
In some ways, what Colts coaches said in their meetings with players could apply to almost any quarterback. Still, the peek behind the curtain further solidifies how opponents view Jones and the Patriots (9-5) heading down the homestretch, starting in Sunday's AFC East showdown (1 p.m. ET, CBS) against the visiting Buffalo Bills (8-6).
It also highlights how Jones' ability to face the heat, and respond to adversity, projects to play a central role in the team's fortunes. Jones passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions against the Colts, and teammates are confident in how he will respond based on what they have seen all season.
"He has a tick about him that if something isn't right, he's going to do whatever it takes to get it fixed," receiver/returner Gunner Olszewski said.
Jones' resilience is naturally a top storyline against the Bills on Sunday, coming off last week's disappointing loss to the Colts in which he threw his first red zone interception of the season.
"He faces it head on and doesn't back down," tight end Hunter Henry said when asked what he's observed from Jones in that regard. "He can make a bad read, bad play, and he continues to strive forward. I think it shows a lot to us offensively -- that even when we have bad plays, we have to continue to go forward, too. He's done a great job at that."
2. More sound bites: From the Colts' "Hard Knocks" series, one offensive assistant said of the Patriots' defense: "They are so freaking disciplined. It's going to be the matchup this week -- their discipline vs. our discipline." And special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone -- wearing an Attleboro (Massachusetts) sweatshirt as a throwback from his days as a Patriots player and coach -- said of the New England special teams units: "From top to bottom, it will be the best group we faced in all phases -- it really is."
3. Belichick's backup: The Saints (Dennis Allen for Sean Payton), Browns (Mike Priefer for Kevin Stefanski) and Cardinals (Vance Joseph/Jeff Rodgers for Kliff Kingsbury) having head coaches miss games because of COVID-19 sparks an obvious question in New England, especially in a week Bill Belichick was fighting an illness. Who would step into that role in the event Belichick wasn't available? Similar to how the Cardinals did it, the hunch here is that it would be a combo of Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia.
4. Jackson's future: Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson's rise from undrafted to Pro Bowler is a feel-good story, and it also foreshadows a big decision ahead for the team. He is scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season. Entering the year, assigning Jackson the franchise tag at a projected cost of $17.28 million seemed like a long shot to me. Now? It's hard for me to imagine the Patriots not doing it if they can't reach a longer-term agreement.
5. Island without a name: Jackson referred to himself as a "lockdown corner" this week, saying how much he likes being on an island. Everyone has heard of Revis Island, and Jackson said he's in the process of trying to create his own, with a name to be determined. Here's a suggestion: Since Jackson has 24 career interceptions, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Kenny Easley and Richard Sherman for the third most by a player in his first four seasons since 1970, how about "INT Isle"?
6. Henry eyes 10 TDs: Henry has been Jones' go-to guy in the red zone, as evidenced by his nine touchdowns, which leads all tight ends and is tied for fifth overall in the NFL. If Henry catches a 10th touchdown, he will join Rob Gronkowski as the only other Patriots tight end to reach double-digit TD receptions in a single season. Henry noted that he didn't get a lot of work with Jones in the spring and training camp -- Cam Newton was still the top QB at the time -- but they've built "a little more trust" with each day they've worked together. "That just continues to grow," Henry said.
7. Virtual reality: Wednesday's presentation in which Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon was named the 2021 Ron Hobson "Good Guy" Award winner marked the last in-person media access of the season (outside of game day). As for what players prefer if there weren't COVID-19 considerations in play, Jones said, "In person is cool." That seemed to be the general sentiment among others, too.
8. Scar's story: Retired offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia should soon be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame after coaching with the team for 34 years and being widely regarded as one of the finest offensive line mentors in the NFL. One of the notable parts of his coaching career -- a two-year departure to Indianapolis to join coach Ron Meyer in 1989-90 -- has been a source of curiosity over the years.
Scarnecchia filled in some details in an interview on sports radio WEEI last week, telling host Chris Curtis he had left New England because of his desire to become an offensive line coach, only to be fired by Meyer two years later when he learned "the grass is not always greener." It's easily forgotten now, but Scarnecchia worked in different roles (special teams, defense, etc.) for a decade upon his return to New England, and it wasn't until 2000 that he finally became an O-line coach -- when Belichick assigned him to that role.
9. Ozigbo invested: The Patriots elevated practice-squad running back Devine Ozigbo for last week's game, but the Nebraska alum didn't play a snap, as it turned into more of a passing game in the second half. Prior to finding out he would be elevated, Ozigbo had an opportunity to return to the Jaguars' active roster, which would have guaranteed him at least three game checks. But he passed on it, in part because of his belief that he's improving as a player under Patriots running backs coaches Ivan Fears and Vinnie Sunseri.
10. Did you know: The Patriots, who are 3-4 at home with remaining games at Gillette Stadium against the Bills and Jaguars, haven't finished below .500 at home since 2000. They were 3-5 that year, Belichick's first as head coach.
The Link LonkDecember 26, 2021 at 06:10PM
https://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4824520/patriots-mac-jones-takes-some-hard-knocks-in-peek-behind-colts-curtain
Patriots' Mac Jones takes some 'Hard Knocks' in peek behind Colts' curtain - New England Patriots Blog- ESPN - ESPN
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