Mac Jones appeared to scream and yell at his New England Patriots coaching staff during the loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday amid reports linking Tom Brady with a return to the franchise.
The Bills were simply superior to their division rivals and surely dealt the Patriots a killer blow to their playoff hopes in the 24-10 win at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. It was Buffalo’s third Thursday night win of the season, becoming the first franchise to achieve such a feat after victories over the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions earlier in the campaign.
The win takes the Bills to 9-3 on the season, while the Patriots are left with a 6-6 record. It means it is highly unlikely that head coach Bill Belichick will lead his team to the playoffs for successive seasons, given there are just five games left to make amends.
In the week leading up to the game, The Athletic reported the Patriots will be contenders to sign Brady when his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expires at the end of the season. Such a move would leave Jones - who was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft - in a precarious position amid an uncertain future.
Unfortunately, Jones didn’t exactly react to the Brady news by tearing it up against the Bills. He completed 22-of-36 passes for just 195 yards and a touchdown to go with no interceptions as his Patriots took a 7-3 lead before surrendering 21 unanswered points.
As another drive ended prematurely, the television cameras capturing the Amazon Prime broadcast showcased Jones visibly frustrated on the sideline. The 24-year-old seemed to be shouting at offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, and appeared to yell: “Throw the f****** ball! F****** run game sucks! F***!”
After the loss that left the Pats in last place in the AFC East, Jones was asked about the frustration he displayed on the sidelines. He said: “Obviously kind of let my emotions get to me. What I said was kind of throwing it deeper instead of the short game… I felt like we needed chunk plays.”
The result means the Bills are now the sole leaders of the division, although the Miami Dolphins will usurp with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The 6-6 Patriots are next in action on December 12 when they face the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.
