Mac Jones was the subject of some criticism following the New England Patriots comfortable 24-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. After he was stripped on a sack in the first half by defensive end Brian Burns, the rookie quarterback appeared to use some questionable measures to prevent the defender from recovering the football.
Jones didn’t address the incident on Sunday after the game, but on Monday he vehemently denied that he intentionally tried to hurt Burns during the tackle.
“I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball,” Jones said on WEEI’s Merloni and Fauria on Monday, per Ryan Hannable. “It was my job to try and make the tackle. That’s pretty much it. … I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or anything like that.”
Mac Jones on @MerloniFauria asked about grabbing Brian Burns’ ankle: “I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I thought he had the ball. It was my job to try and make the tackle. That’s pretty much it. … I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or anything like that.”
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) November 8, 2021
The play-in-question came near the end of the first quarter when Jones dropped back to pass. Burns stripped the Patriots quarterback from behind and both went tumbling to the ground as the football bounced away.
As Burns tried to get up to chase after the loose ball, Jones grabbed a hold of his ankle to prevent him from doing so. It appeared as though the Patriots rookie then twisted his opponent’s ankle to bring him to the ground.
Jones was not penalized for the tackle, but Burns went into the medical tent on the sideline as the Panthers offense took the field. He came back into the game but left again in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Here’s another look at the play, via the Panthers. Jones first grabs Burns’ ankle just as the camera pans away to the loose football.
Burns takes down Mac Jones and Luvu recovers
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/htMtFu50P2
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 7, 2021
Jones might see his tackle as just trying to prevent Burns from recovering the fumble, but not everyone was willing to give the Patriots rookie a pass for his actions. Panther linebacker Haason Reddick addressed the controversial play in his postgame press conference and expressed his hope that the league would look into the incident
“I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully it’s something the league addresses,” Reddick said of the tackle made by Jones, via Joseph Person of The Athletic.
The NFL plans to review the tackle made by Jones and will dole out a punishment to the Patriots quarterback if necessary, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
Time will tell if the league finds Jones guilty of any wrongdoing.
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