Mac Jones

Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns wouldn't mind seeing his fellow pass-rushers sack New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

"It would be nice to have an apology, but it's not gonna happen," he told reporters. "... I would just like to play them again. And I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting."

Burns was referring to a play during Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Patriots. Jones lost the ball on a strip-sack and held onto Burns' ankle as linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered it, and the defensive end eventually limped off the field. 

Mike Reiss of ESPN noted Jones addressed the play during an appearance on WEEI's Merloni and Fauria:

After I got hit pretty hard, I didn't really know what was going on. I thought he had the ball. It's my job to try to make the tackle. That was pretty much it.

Obviously, when you get up and see the ball is actually down the field a little bit more—it's just a bang-bang play. I didn't mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play, because I didn't really know what was going on.

Panthers pass-rusher Haason Reddick and linebacker Shaq Thompson both suggested it was a dirty play by the rookie quarterback, per Reiss.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the league will review the play but is not expected to suspend Jones. He could face a fine.

Jones finished the game 12-of-18 passing for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He did as he has done for much of the season and managed the game with short passes and going to the rushing attack while avoiding many risks.

The formula has helped the Patriots improve to 5-4 with three consecutive wins.

While Burns would like to play Jones again, the only way Carolina and New England could face each other for the rest of the season would be in the Super Bowl. The Patriots are in the final AFC playoff spot, while the Panthers are 4-5 and just behind the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons for the last NFC spot.                   

The New England Patriots have quietly emerged as a dark-horse Super Bowl contender.

The Pats got off to a rocky 1-3 start, but they have won three in a row and four of their last five games. New England's 5-4 record has the club well positioned to overtake the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills, who fell to 5-3 with an embarrassing 9-6 defeat to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.

Buffalo's loss has left the door wide-open for the Patriots to usurp the reigning divisional champions.

The road won't be easy—the Bills still have the second-best odds to win Super Bowl 56, per DraftKings, while the Pats' odds remain longer than 30-1—but New England has a clear path to not only claim the AFC East crown but also win it all this year.

The Pats have become one of the league's most intriguing contenders with Mac Jones under center. The quarterback has found his footing as a confident game manager who has displayed uncanny poise for a 23-year-old rookie.

While Jones isn't putting up huge numbers, he's taking care of the football and putting his team in position to win. The Alabama product ranks in the top 10 for accuracy, completing 68 percent of his passes.

Jones struggled with turnovers and took some bad sacks early but has improved significantly in the last month.

Over the last four games, he has tossed five touchdowns against two interceptions and taken six sacks. It's a marked improvement after the signal-caller was sacked 11 times and threw as many interceptions as touchdowns (five) in his first five starts.

Jakobi Meyers has taken a step forward in 2021 while emerging as one of Jones' most reliable receivers. The third-year wideout has caught 46 of 72 targets for 434 yards, putting him on pace to surpass his career highs of 59 receptions for 729 yards set last season. 

Kendrick Bourne has also been a boon for the Pats. While the 26-year-old hasn't seen a ton of volume, he's made the most of his looks, securing 29 of 39 targets for 422 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones may have established his strongest rapport with Hunter Henry.

New England brought in the tight end as a free agent to bolster a position that provided the Pats with a paltry 18 receptions for 254 yards and one touchdown last season. Henry already has 27 catches for 316 yards and five touchdowns.

The New England running back platoon has taken several injuries in stride while remaining a steady source of production, averaging over 100 yards per game. It's accomplished this despite losing James White, the team's top pass-catching back, for the season with a hip injury.

Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson have both been banged up as well, but Brandon Bolden—mostly a special teams contributor during his nine NFL seasons—has performed admirably when needed. The 31-year-old has rushed 22 times for 108 yards and caught 22 of 24 targets for 189 yards and a score.

New England has made strides on the defensive end as well.

After being hit hard by opt-outs and injuries last year, the team restocked the cupboard and has rebounded well. The Patriots rank in the top 10 in total defense and are top-five in both scoring defense—allowing 18.9 points per game—and takeaways after securing 16 through nine games.

The team has accomplished this despite trading 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. The Pats sent the cornerback to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-round pick last month.

New England clearly felt comfortable with its cornerback room, headlined by ball hawk J.C. Jackson. Jackson has followed up last year's breakout nine-interception campaign with five more picks, including his first pick-six.

The team also brought back Jamie Collins, the veteran linebacker who played well for the Pats in the past. He may not be stuffing the stat sheet—seven tackles, one interception and one sack in five games—but he is having an impact on this group.

The 32-year-old has earned a 72.2 grade from Pro Football Focus—starter-caliber football—while drawing praise from head coach Bill Belichick.

"He's really contributing a lot of different ways," Belichick told reporters Monday. "Setting a good edge, playing off the ball, on the ball, special teams, rushing the passer, playing in coverage, so he's helped us in a lot of different ways."

Collins is augmenting one of the game's best pass-rushers in prized offseason acquisition Matt Judon.

The former Baltimore Raven has been a revelation for New England, racking up nine sacks, tied for third-most in the league.

Judon and the revamped Patriots pass rush are up to 19 sacks, adding an edge the defense lacked in 2020. Only five teams had fewer than New England's 24 sacks last year.

With a more complete team, the Patriots are poised to finish the year strong and make a playoff push.

They have a relatively easy road over the final eight weeks, even if their strength of schedule is the league's 15th-most difficult since their opponents own a collective .500 record.

The team has winnable games against the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.

New England's remaining three opponents are all above .500, but one is a 7-2 Tennessee Titans team that lacks the heart of its offense following Derrick Henry's foot injury.

While the Titans came up with a big win in Los Angeles against the Rams, it took a herculean defensive effort—Tennessee must sustain these performances to remain a contender—and an uncharacteristic pair of interceptions from quarterback Matthew Stafford to seal the victory.  

The other is the up-and-down Cleveland Browns, a 5-4 squad reliant on its run game even before losing one of its top receivers in Odell Beckham Jr.

That leaves two matchups with the Bills in Weeks 13 and 16 that are likely to determine the division.

If New England can draw and Buffalo stumbles down the stretch—the Bills have matchups against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—the Pats have a shot at claiming their 12th AFC East title in 13 years.

Earning home-field advantage in the Wild Card Round would help New England immensely. A playoff win in Foxborough could give the team the momentum it needs to mount a Super Bowl run.

Considering how flawed the AFC's top teams are, anything could happen come January. 

The Ravens are atop the AFC North but have yet to find much success in the playoffs during the Lamar Jackson era. The Kansas City Chiefs are still favored to emerge from the wide-open AFC West, but their offense looks like a shell of the one that carried the club to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. 

If the Pats do reach the Super Bowl, the Buccaneers are the favorite to meet them.

After proving it could keep a game against Tampa close in an epic Week 4 matchup that went down to the wire, a more experienced New England team would be itching for another chance to topple former quarterback Tom Brady and the defending champs. 

At its current odds, New England may be the best value bet to emerge from this chaotic campaign with the Lombardi Trophy.

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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones appeared to intentionally injure Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns during a first-quarter play in Sunday's 24-6 win, but his coach thinks it was a misunderstanding.

"I think he thought Burns had the ball," Bill Belichick told The Greg Hill Show on Monday, via ESPN's Mike Reiss.

The incident came after Burns sacked Jones, causing a fumble. While other players went after the loose ball, Jones grabbed the pass-rusher's right ankle and twisted it.

Burns was helped off the field with an injury.

"Definitely thought it was a dirty play," Panthers linebacker Haason Reddick told reporters after the game. "I actually saw and witnessed the play while it was happening. At first it felt like he was trying trip or kick Burns. And the next thing you know I saw him tugging on Burns' ankle. I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully, it's something the league addresses."

On Monday, Jones told Merloni & Fauria of WEEI 93.7 that he believe Burns had the ball (h/t Michael Hurley of CBS Boston):

“After I got hit pretty hard, I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball and it was my job to try and make the tackle. That was pretty much it. And you know, obviously when you get up and you see the ball is actually down the field a little bit more. … It was just a bang-bang play, and I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or anything like that. I was just trying to tackle him and make the play. Because you know, I didn’t really know what was going on.”

The NFL will reportedly review the play, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, which could lead to a fine against Jones. 

Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Haason Reddick is not happy with New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

After Carolina defensive end Brian Burns got a strip sack, Jones held onto his ankle to stop him from getting away. Burns spent time in the medical tent before returning, but he suffered an injury to the same ankle in the fourth quarter. Reddick thought Jones went too far.

"Definitely thought it was a dirty play,'' Reddick said after the game. "I actually saw and witnessed the play while it was happening."

"At first, it felt like he was trying trip or kick Burns," Reddick continued. "And the next thing you know, I saw him tugging on Burns' ankle. I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully, it's something the league addresses."

Burns had been trying to recover the fumble, and he twisted to try to get away while Jones held onto his ankle. However, Jones didn't draw a penalty, and Burns was evaluated by trainers before getting helped off the field. The Panthers went on to lose to the Patriots 24-6.

Carolina head coach Matt Rhule also believed that "a foul should have been called."

"I don't want to call out any of their players or anything like that,'' Rhule said. "I'm always gonna protect our guys, and it looked like it was an injury that happened after the play."

Reddick had stronger words for Jones and reiterated that he hopes there will be some punishment from the NFL.

"I understand everybody is out there competing,'' he said. "I understand everybody wants to win. I don't think there is no room for that inside of the game. Everybody needs to be respectful, right? Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt.

"For no penalty, nothing to be thrown, it's egregious, I think it's unfair. I really do hope the league addresses it."

The Panthers will look to bounce back next Sunday in a road game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Dallas Cowboys topped the New England Patriots 35-29 in overtime Sunday for their fifth straight win to improve to 5-1. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw the game-winning 35-yard touchdown to CeeDee Lamb in the extra frame.

Prescott finished with 445 yards and three touchdowns. It was the Cowboys' first win over the Patriots since 1996, ending a streak of six straight losses.

Notable Performers

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: 36-of-51 for 445 YDS, 3 TD, INT, fumble lost

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb: 9 REC for 149 YDS, 2 TD

Patriots QB Mac Jones: 15-of-21 for 229 YDS, 2 TD, INT

Patriots RB Damien Harris: 18 CAR for 101 YDS, TD

Cowboys Overcome Turnovers, Penalties

The Cowboys played surprisingly sloppy football on Sunday. Their opening drive was ended by a turnover on downs after failing to convert on fourth down. Despite moving the ball well in the first half, two drives ended with turnovers in the red zone.

When Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones left the game with a rib injury, Prescott tried to target his replacement Justin Bethel in the end zone. Bethel managed to tip the ball and Kyle Dugger secured the interception.

With an opportunity to take the lead near the end of the first half, the Cowboys had four chances at the New England 1-yard line but failed to punch it in. Prescott fumbled the ball on a quarterback sneak.

It was Prescott's second straight game with an interception and a fumble.

Credit should go to the Patriots' defense, which shut down the Cowboys' run game and held Ezekiel Elliott to 69 yards. But Dallas proved to be able to move the ball at-will against New England and could've blown the game open if not for the untimely giveaways.

The Cowboys also committed 12 penalties that cost them 115 yards and kept the Patriots in the game.

Luckily for the Cowboys, they have their own turnover machine in Trevon Diggs, who had a pick-six in the fourth quarter for his second touchdown this season.

It was Diggs' seventh interception of the year, tying Hall of Famer Rod Woodson for the most interceptions through six games since 1970.

With its high-powered offense, Dallas is considered a contender for this year's Super Bowl. But the Cowboys offense will have to clean up their play if they hope to finally have a successful postseason run, which has eluded them since the 1990s. Dallas hasn't advanced past the Division Round since 1995, its last Super Bowl win.

Patriots Rookie QB Mac Jones Impresses in Defeat

Mac Jones continued his campaign for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Alabama product came out firing to start the game, completing his first 10 passes including an early touchdown to Hunter Henry.

Jones looked poised to start the game, but he took a couple big sacks in the first half. Playing behind a depleted offensive line, New England shifted its game plan and played safer to protect its franchise quarterback.

But with the game on the line, the Patriots put their foot back on the gas and trusted in Jones.

The interception he threw to Diggs could've been the backbreaker for New England, but Jones showed he has ice in his veins and hit Kendrick Bourne for a go-ahead 75-yard touchdown on the very next play.

Jones had the Patriots in position to win the game late, but the Cowboys converted on a late field goal to force overtime. The offense couldn't get much going on its lone possession in overtime and was forced to punt.

Jones completed passes to eight different receivers. He had only 21 pass attempts compared to 27 rushing attempts by New England. As Jones continues to prove that he's ready to compete against NFL defenses, the Patriots should open up the playbook and give him more freedom to show what he can do.

What's next?

The Cowboys will enjoy a bye week in Week 7 and will be back in action on Oct. 31 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. The Patriots will remain at home next Sunday for an AFC East matchup against the New York Jets.