ARLINGTON, Texas — The worst recreation of Mac Jones’ NFL profession ended with a benching late within the third quarter.

Its begin was even worse.

On his second possession, the Cowboys stopped Jones on a fourth-down quarterback sneak. Turnover on downs.

The subsequent drive, he took a strip sack that resulted in a Dallas landing.

After an ensuing three-and-out, Jones fired a pick-six throughout the sphere in one of many early lowlights of the NFL season.

Naturally, he took the blame for the Patriots’ eventual 38-3 defeat, probably the most lopsided lack of the Bill Belichick period.

“I’m very competitive, and I put a lot into it and I feel really bad,” Jones stated post-game. “I let my team down, let the coaches down, the whole organization. Everybody. We’ve got a great fan base, and I got to put a better product out there to beat good teams.”

Jones completed 12-of-21 for 150 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. His 39.9 passer score registered because the third-lowest of his profession. Bill Belichick pulled him with 3:41 left within the third quarter for backup Bailey Zappe, who failed to steer a scoring drive.

Meanwhile, Jones sat on the bench, mired in his personal failure. He acknowledged post-game that Sunday marked a tough step again from his encouraging three-game begin to the season. Prior to kickoff, Jones ranked among the many league leaders in passing yards and touchdowns regardless of a non-existent deep passing assault.

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“I feel like I’ve made progress this year so far and just not today,” Jones stated. “I think there’s a bunch of steps back so for me just continue to do that.”

As a crew, the Patriots fell to 1-3 for the third time in as a few years. Jones acknowledged their shedding report begins with him, even when his play helped buoy an offense affected by safety points and poor separation at receiver via three weeks. Until Sunday, Jones ranked among the many NFL’s finest at passing underneath strain.

But his decision-making proved erratic towards the Cowboys, who sacked him as soon as and hurried him a number of occasions.

“As a quarterback, you have to play better,” Jones stated. “Every team that’s winning right now, the quarterback’s playing really well, so I need to do better.”

Jones will stay the crew’s starter, in accordance with Belichick. In August, the Patriots waived Zappe on cutdown day and have since cycled via third-string quarterbacks in an effort to bolster their depth on the place. Jones, as has typically been the case, acknowledged preventing his hardest battles inside.

Last season, that included his poise throughout blowout losses like Sunday’s. But the 35-point margin in Dallas marked the widest of his profession, and subsequently a brand new check because the Pats start to show to New Orleans subsequent week.

“I think it’ll be a good test,” Jones stated of bouncing again. “Just for me, just trying to stay focused on what I can control, and that’s playing better. So, (I’ve) just gotta evaluate everything, and it wasn’t my day today. Hopefully, there’s better days ahead.”

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Belichick declined to particularly acknowledge Jones’ efficiency after the sport saying: “I think we just need to go out and play well.” Jones’ fellow captain, David Andrews, steered blame away from the quarterback in his personal press convention. Asked about Jones’ confidence presumably being shaken, Andrews stated that might apply to all gamers.

“I think we all have some confidence issues after a performance like that. It’s a team game, so I think it’s all of us that have to look in the mirror, gotta correct everything,” Andrews stated. “It’s not just his fault.”

Jones discovered some consolation wanting again. In 2021, the Patriots dropped to 1-3 after a hard-fought loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in primetime. They finally slipped to 2-4, thanks to a different Cowboys loss.

Questions about the way forward for the franchise hung over the Patriots then and particularly Jones, as he tried to succeed Brady. That crew finally pressured its approach into the playoffs. Now, Jones is hoping historical past will repeat itself, whereas acknowledging any hope of a doable postseason run begins with him.

“I think, for me, just bury (the loss), try to learn from it and move on. Don’t make it turn into another loss. My rookie year didn’t start off great. We just kept working and I just tried to play better. That’s what I have to do here. It’s got to be a lot better by me.”