With the Baltimore Ravens dropping the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the plate is set for the New England Patriots to have home-field advantage through the NFL playoffs.
But for that to happen, Mac Jones and Bill Belichick's tough defense will have to get the job done against a difficult Buffalo Bills team on the road.
The Monday Night Football clash between AFC East rivals will pretty much determine not only the fate of the division but also the AFC playoff picture.
There's a lot at stake in this game. Nonetheless, Mac Jones doesn't seem overwhelmed by the pressure and is just looking forward at the challenge.
"People who love football want to get a chance to play in games like these," the rookie QB told the press, per Boston.com. “I think just any chance to play in the NFL, everybody wants that, regardless of whether it’s a Monday, Sunday, Thursday. Just going out there and enjoying it. Just go out there and play the game that we all know and love. Enjoy it, regardless of what day it is or what time it is.”
The Patriots' defense will have their hands full against Buffalo's explosive offense.
Josh Allen has been an MVP candidate all season long and Mac Jones knows what he's capable of:
“He has all the physical tools,” the rookie said. “You see him make some throws that a lot of quarterbacks can’t make. He’s got a great arm, and he’s very athletic. He’s a big dude. Obviously, he’s really good, and he’s been good in the league for the past couple years. I loved watching him when I was in college when he was in the NFL, and seeing what he did in that offense is great.”
This will be the Patriots' toughest game yet, not only because of the rival but because of the dire playoff implications it will have.
Therefore, they need to be ready to execute and make the most of the few chances they get:
“They don’t do a lot of things bad, so we’ve just got to be ready to go,” Jones said. “They have great experience in most parts, and some of the young guys have stepped in and played really well. They have a really good mix of experience and team speed. They play hard, and they play together. It’s a great defense, and they don’t really have many flaws."
The Patriots are riding a six-game winning streak and Mac Jones continues to impress by the week.
Recently, Hall of Famer QB Kurt Warner even said that he's ahead of Tom Brady when Brady first got to the league:
"People want to compare him to who Tom Brady was in '01. He's doing more for this team, and playing better than Tom Brady did in '01," Warner said, per ESPN.
It's still too early to tell how good he'll be, but beating a divisional rival in a must-win game will most certainly point Mac Jones in the right direction.
