Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson appeared to take a subtle dig at the New England Patriots regarding Mac Jones’ stellar performance in Friday night’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
So far, Jones has looked like a completely different quarterback than he was playing a game of musical chairs at the position with Bailey Zappe over the past two seasons in New England. A former first-round draft pick, Jones was eventually traded to the Jaguars in the offseason.
Since then, he’s been taking off like a rocket.
Jones completed 13 of 18 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown in leading the Jaguars to a win over the Falcons. For the preseason, the fourth-year quarterback completed 38 of 52 passes for 421 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
“Mac has played very well the last few weeks and really understands how we play,” Pederson said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “He reverts to the Patriots way at times, and we have to remind him he’s in Jacksonville, but he’s doing a good job managing the offense, executing it, getting everybody involved. He’s seeing the field well, he’s throwing the ball well, so he’s doing a good job.”
It’s no secret that the Patriots’ approach has not been good for Jones, who went from a Pro Bowl rookie to leading one of the NFL’s worst offensive teams. Patriots Twitter was quick to pick up on Pederson’s comments and respond.
Here’s what fans are saying on social media:
The Patriot’s Way to Catch Stray Dogs 💀
— Sleeper NFL (@SleeperNFL) August 24, 2024
😂😂 The Jaguars are trying to undo the damage Belichick did.
— Chessplaya (@Chessplaya3) August 24, 2024
Pat lost and won’t be playing in the game ☠️ He’s at rock bottom.
— Troy Means (@troymeans) August 24, 2024
I love it. It’s fun.
— Eric 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@EALondon) August 24, 2024
“The Patriot Way”😭😭😭
— Mike Burns (@mikeburns04) August 24, 2024
Wowwww💀💀💀
— Jordan Crying V2 (@Jordan_CryingV2) August 24, 2024
It’s crazy that Brisket and Zappe tastes better than Mac Jones.
— Faye (@PfeiGuy) August 24, 2024
I would never say that.
— Greg “Mindset” Heffley (@GregHeffleyPC) August 24, 2024
Looking at Doug Pederson’s resume…
I wish you luck in everything.
— Scott Cooley (@SCooley1023) August 24, 2024
Today, the “Patriot Way” has become an insult
— Bill (@CranxCh) August 24, 2024