'It will motivate me for next year': Patriots postseason loss fuels Mac Jones to improve

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there would be much for Mac Jones to take from his first postseason experience in the NFL.

The 23-year-old rookie quarterback never had the chance to have a coming-of-age moment as the Buffalo Bills teared the Patriots to shreds, 47-17, in the AFC wild-card game on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

But if Jones, who completed 24-of-38 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, did get anything out of the beatdown, it’s that it provided him with the necessary fuel to continue to make strides with his play when he returns for his second year.

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“I wish I could have put a better performance out there so that we could push together through the playoffs, but it’s something that I’ll have to live with and it will motivate me for next year,” Jones said.

Despite Jones’ tough self-criticism throughout the season, his first year as a professional quarterback came with more ups and downs.

Jones was the only rookie signal-caller to make it to the playoffs, he led all rookies with 24 touchdown passes and he finished the regular season with the second-best completion percentage ever by a rookie QB at 67.6 percent — just percentage points shy of breaking Dak Prescott’s record.

While Jones gave the Patriots a steadying presence and led the team on a seven-game winning streak in the middle of the season to climb out of a 2-4 hole, Jones also collided with the inevitable rookie wall, especially late in the year. After the Patriots' bye week, Jones regressed, tossing seven of his 15 interceptions in the team’s final five games, of which New England lost four.

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Jones threw a key red-zone interception in a road loss to the Indianapolis Colts and on New England’s first offensive series in the regular-season finale, a disguised coverage by the Miami Dolphins fooled Jones and resulted in a pick-6 for Xavien Howard.

Jones did his best to try to rally a surprisingly lifeless Patriots squad in their postseason matchup against the Bills, but he could take New England only so far. He threw two interceptions in the loss, one on which Bills’ safety Micah Hyde made a sensational play, snaring a deep ball intended for Nelson Agholor in the end zone.

Following New England’s playoff exit, Jones likened his first year to a pilot gaining experience flying and believes he’ll improve with more time on the job. After all, it was just over a year ago he won a national college championship with Alabama.

"For me, obviously, I was a rookie and I played like that sometimes and I shouldn’t have and I can play better,” Jones said. “That’s my goal this offseason, just to advance and bring the guys along with me because we have great players all around me. I know we have a lot of progress to make and I’ll just feel more comfortable with anything you do a second time around.”

Jones appreciated all the support he received from his teammates as he stepped into a role that came with huge expectations due to the greatness that took place at his position in New England for 20 years.

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But as Jones looks to take the next step, he knows his leadership will need to go to another level as well.

“I know that I’m a rookie, but I could have done a better job of just holding everybody to that standard, myself included,” Jones said. “I think we’ll make a lot of progress in the offseason with that and my leadership and just being myself.”

Jones’ teammates don’t doubt, at least not publicly, that he can lift a franchise that just suffered one of its worst postseason defeats in the organization’s history.

“I think the future is bright for this organization with that young man,” said Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater. “Not just his play on the field, but I think the man that he is, the character that he possesses. He’s the type of man that you hope to build around.”

As Jones went through his postgame press conference following New England’s playoff embarrassment, there seemed to be a calmness about him.

He sure wasn’t happy about the final outcome, but he felt that the entire season gave him a valuable experience that will benefit him moving forward.

“I think losing is terrible,” Jones said. “None of us wanted to do that tonight. There’s nothing we can do about it. There’s a lot to look forward to and be positive about and learn from. There’s nothing to hang our heads on. I’m super proud of the people that helped (me) grow as a person: coaches, players, support staff and all that.

“There’s a lot to look back on and just learning. There’s nothing to feel sorry about. It’s just a learning experience to get better for next year.”

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Patriots quarterback Mac Jones takes lessons from rookie season