Mac Jones: 'No Excuses' For Latest New England Patriots Loss

Mac Jones was far from the New England Patriots' biggest issue in their latest loss, but he was again part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Ill-advised as his would-be drive continuation to JuJu Smith-Schuster was at the end of the New England Patriots' latest loss, Mac Jones might've been spared of a hypothetical blown save if he played at Fenway Park rather than Gillette Stadium.

Jones, alas, plays football, where no official scorer absolves quarterbacks of interceptions. 

The embattled franchise star is thus the headliner ... or scapegoat? ... of another embarrassing defeat for the Patriots, who fell 20-17 final to the Washington Commanders on Sunday. New England's newest death knell came en route to a potential equalizer or winner, as Jones' pass slipped through the hands of Smith-Schuster and into the waiting arms of Jartavius Martin.

While Foxborough's ire was levied toward Smith-Schuster, Jones absorbed the blame in the after

“There (are) no excuses,” Jones said, per Josh Alper of NBC Sports. “It’s hard to compare to other people, other teams. We have a standard here. At the end of the day, we need to meet that standard and execute as best we can for me as a quarterback and all that stuff."

Mac Jones (10) winds up to pass during Sunday's loss to Washington / Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Even with that interception, a curious pass in the crowded middle of the field with no timeouts in the final minute, Jones was far from the Patriots' biggest issue on Sunday. He capitalized on opportunities offered and was forced to play with a fixed hand: defensive and special teams shortcomings ensured that no New England drive started beyond its own 25-yard-line in the second half. 

Some of Jones' targets certainly did him no favors either: toward the end of the third quarter, for example, Jones seemingly found an open Jalen Reagor for a deep gain that would've put New England (2-7) in the Washington red zone. Alas, Reagor failed to haul it in, leading to one of six boots for punter Bryce Baringer, extending the latter's AFC-high rate to 46.

But Jones kept an open mind to his own shortcomings, ones that saw him miss a few open targets himself. Such misfires could toy with his confidence as the heat and scrutiny on his continued Patriot employment intensifies.

"We’re always going to focus on us and what we can do better and the things we need to improve, what I need to improve, and all that stuff," the quarterback said. "“I think the biggest thing ... is remaining confident in yourself. When you do everything you can every day, you should have no regrets. I have no regrets. I do need to do things better, but I’m always going to work hard and put in the hours."

"That’s all I can do, right? Motivate people around me to do it, as well. I’m always going to be the same person. Obviously, like you said, the results aren’t there right now. It stinks. There’s no excuses.”

Jones has eight more chances to prove if that "same person" is the answer under center moving forward for the Patriots. The next will come in Germany, as the Patriots face the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt next Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).

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