Mac Attack: Mac Jones has some encouraging moments against the Panthers

Make no mistake, Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers was a defensive performance to remember for the New England Patriots.

Thanks to three interceptions of quarterback Sam Darnold, including a pick-six from cornerback J.C. Jackson, the Patriots left Charlotte with a 24-6 win, and suddenly find themselves in the mix of the playoff hunt with a 5-4 record. If the postseason began right now, the Patriots would face a trip down I-95 on Wild Card Weekend to take on the Ravens in Baltimore.

But here at Mac Attack, we dive into the quarterback — specifically Patriots rookie passer Mac Jones. Given the defensive performance, the first-round draft pick was not asked to do a ton on Sunday: Jones finished the day completing 12 of 18 pass attempts for 139 yards as well as a touchdown and an interception.

Despite Jones’ relatively quiet day, there are still some plays to examine and ponder. Let’s dive into 10 of those, and, yes, we’ll talk about the Brian Burns sack along the way.