As the Patriots continue to go through their late-season scuffling, fans and former players alike have expressed their frustrations, particularly with second-year quarterback Mac Jones. Wednesday saw former wide receiver Julian Edelman be critical of Jones’s effort on the disastrous final play against the Raiders. Former defensive tackle Vince Wilfork also took aim at Jones for his on-field demeanor.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston, Wilfork criticized Jones for his lack of poise in critical moments, stressing that the quarterback of the team should not be so quick to show his frustration when things aren’t going according to plan.
“I’m tired of it. You’re the leader of this team, you’re the quarterback. So, you can’t be frustrated every single week, every single play,” Wilfork said. “I don’t care if you’re getting the play called in late or whatever it may be. At the end of the day, you have to show some poise because when you operate the ship, you’re the head of the ship when you’re out there.”
Wilfork, who played 11 seasons with New England and was a part of two Super Bowl championship teams, stressed how Jones’s behavior can have a negative impact on his teammates, and said he is growing tired of the quarterback’s “temper tantrums.”
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“And you’ve got your teammates looking at you every week and every play … control what you can control, that’s all you can do,” Wilfork said. “But I’m tired of seeing him throw a fit and a temper tantrum. We get it. We get it because, at the end of the day, everybody’s not playing the way they’re capable of playing. That’s just what it is. Everybody, including him, so I’m not just throwing it all on him. At this point, I’m tired of seeing it, and I think a lot of other people are tired of seeing it.”
The Patriots have lost three of their last four games to fall to 7–7 on the season, and are one game behind the Dolphins and Chargers for a wild-card spot.
