Mac impresses, but Pats lose: ‘We can safe better’

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones turned in a stellar efficiency in his NFL debut Sunday, but a unhurried fumble by running help Damien Harris on the Miami Dolphins‘ 9-yard line ended what can even indulge in been a breeze-forward touchdown pressure, as Original England fell 17-16 at Gillette Stadium.

Jones performed 29-of-39 for 281 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. The 281 passing yards are essentially the most by a Patriots quarterback in his first profession starting up, primarily based completely on ESPN Stats & Knowledge compare.

“I indulge in we are able to safe better; that’s good how we indulge in got to leer at it. Positively wasn’t like minded ample, starting with me,” Jones talked about.

When the Patriots took over on the 50-yard line with 8 minutes, 7 seconds ultimate in the fourth quarter on a Jonathan Jones interception, the stage used to be web site for some unhurried-sport magic that followers previously grew to change into accustomed to observing Tom Brady from 2001 to 2019.

But Harris had the ball stripped away from him by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on the 9-yard line with 3: 31 left, and Howard additionally recovered it.

The Dolphins transformed two first downs to bustle out the clock.

“Damien’s clearly very upset, but it indubitably doesn’t breeze all on Damien,” talked about Jones, who used to be additionally teammates with Harris at Alabama. “There is fairly plenty of things I can even indulge in carried out to be better, to no longer even be in that grief, indulge in some bigger chunk performs.”

It used to be a unimaginable quick a day by which Jones met the expectations that arrived with him after the Patriots selected him with the 15th general indulge in on this year’s NFL draft.

He threw his first profession touchdown pass unhurried in the 2d quarter, a 7-yard connection to receiver Nelson Agholor. View to be one of many issues of the day used to be Jones’ manufacturing underneath duress, as he used to be 8-of-12 with the touchdown when facing tension, primarily based completely on ESPN Stats & Knowledge compare.

He led three drives of 14 performs, but they all ended in field targets. The lone touchdown pressure covered seven performs and 54 yards, and when Agholor tried to hand him the football to preserve, Jones didn’t need it.

“It doesn’t in actuality matter; it’s good one touchdown,” Jones outlined after the game. “Now we indulge in to ranking more. It be no longer love the game used to be over like minded there. We gotta create better in the crimson zone and safe more touchdowns. And we are able to.”

Rookie quarterbacks had been 6-0 underneath coach Bill Belichick in their first profession starts. Jones’ debut used to be extremely anticipated in Original England, with the crowd rising to its toes as he took the field in warm-usawhile the song “Mr. Jones,” by Mike Jones, performed.

With Jones and the Patriots facing Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, the matchup marked the fundamental time two Alabama quarterbacks started against each and each assorted in the NFL since 1993.

“I used to be delighted for him,” talked about Tagovailoa, who performed 16-of-27 for 202 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. “It being his first genuine sport, with a crowd love this, I thought he made some in actuality like minded throws. Mac looks love he suits perfectly into their offense and machine.”

Jones talked about offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had a easy message for him entering the game.

“[He] urged me, ‘Good revel in the day. You would possibly by no diagram play a rookie-year opening sport all once more.’ But that’s no longer how I needed it to pass,” Jones talked about.

Right here is the 2d straight season the Patriots lost an AFC East sport on a fumble in field purpose vary. Final year, they trailed the Funds 24-21 on the Buffalo 19 sooner than QB Cam Newton fumbled with 37 seconds left.

The Patriots performed Sunday with four fumbles, shedding two. The closing time they’d four fumbles in a season opener used to be Sept. 5, 1993, in a 38-14 loss to the Funds — the day first-round quarterback Drew Bledsoe made his NFL debut.