Mac Jones Ready To Spend His First Bye Week Doing What He Loves: Watching Football
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Mac Jones has been experiencing a lot of firsts over the last three months. There was his first NFL game, his first NFL win, his first NFL road game, and more recently, his first NFL game in which he threw just three passes.
It's been a wild ride for Mac and the Patriots on the way to their 9-4 record and seat atop the AFC East. This week, the rookie will experience another first: His first bye week.
For a football nut, a week away from the game may be tough. But for Jones, it won't really be a week away from football. There will actually be a lot of football involved.
The rookie will, of course, fill his free time with film study. A lot of film study. It's been a staple of his career, and something that helped him navigate the rocky waters of his first few weeks as a starting quarterback in the National Football League. He's a big self-evaluator, and the bye week offers a great opportunity for some self evaluation. He'll be looking at every part of his game that needs to improve so that he and the Patriots can be at their best at the most important time of the year.
There will of course be some downtime for the 23-year-old, and he was asked if he has any special plans. Perhaps a steak dinner or a nice date night with his girlfriend?
"That's personal," Jones told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche at Gillette Stadium. He followed it up with a chuckle, of course.
"I think a lot of people are going to enjoy their families and I will too," Jones added. "I usually enjoy hanging out with my family and being a normal person, watching whatever you want to watch."
The Jones family, obviously, wants to watch some football come Sunday afternoon. While some have a tough time watching the game on their week away, Jones doesn't think he'll have that issue.
"Football is football. Sports are great to watch on TV," he said. "It's great to watch it however you can."
His mind will also be on the team next up on New England's schedule, the 7-6 Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots will be back on national TV the next time they take the playing field, this time on a Saturday night.
"That's where our mind is right now, getting ready for our next game, evaluating the past and not getting too much into it," Jones added of the bye week. "The older guys have a great message; don't let anything in the bye week ruin anything in the future. Go get your rest, enjoy your family and stay safe. That's what we're going to do."