It took three weeks, but the New England Patriots finally got into the win column with a hard-earned 15-10 victory over the struggling New York Jets.
The Patriots played to their strengths as they limited the Jets’ run game and forced Zach Wilson to beat them through the air.
On the flip side, Mac Jones did well to make smart decisions throwing the football as he recorded 201 passing yards and one touchdown.
Although those are modest numbers, Jones did just enough offensively to keep the chains moving and put New England in a position to hold on for the win.
After the game, Jones was asked how his team was able to get their first victory of the year and he had no problem being honest via CBS.
“Just hold onto the ball, and, you know, it’s kinda ugly, but it works,” Jones said.
“Just hold onto the ball, and, you know, it’s kinda ugly, but it works.”
Mac Jones was very blunt about how the @Patriots got their first win 😂
🎤 @TracyWolfson pic.twitter.com/AypIwUS0jy
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 24, 2023
While Bill Belichick might not agree with the verbiage, the sentiment is surely correct as Jones and the Patriots played clean football during the afternoon and made the Jets try to beat them.
It might not have been the most resounding win, but it’s much better than the alternative where they could have instead gone down 0-3 and seen their season effectively be over.
New England’s offense may not be the most exciting thing to watch, but they have a clear identity and Jones has shown legitimate improvement as a passer and decision-maker.
At 1-2, the Patriots could still fight their way into the Wild Card mix, though the sledding gets tougher in Week 4 when they head on the road to play the Dallas Cowboys.
NEXT: Julian Edelman Breaks Down How He Earned Tom Brady's Trust
