Dolphins Evaluate Mac Jones After Rookie QB's NFL Debut
FOXBORO (CBS) -- After suffering a gut-punch of a loss on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, nobody from the Patriots was particularly interested in hyping anyone up. While some positive words were said about rookie quarterback Mac Jones, the praise was generally muted, considering the 17-16 final score in favor of the visiting Dolphins.
But for those looking for NFL players and coaches evaluating the play of the QB out of Alabama, the Dolphins had plenty to say.
Head coach Brian Flores
"I thought he did a really nice job. I thought he did a really nice job. Got the ball out, was able to kind of move their offense, pick up first downs, drive them down field. Yeah, I thought he did a very nice job."
"Yeah, I mean, he played well. He moved the ball. Made the throws he needed to make. Made good decisions. I thought he played well. I thought we could have done some better things defensively. We'll make those corrections. But he played well."
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
"Well, I was happy for him. You know, it being his first real game with a crowd like this, I mean, I thought he made some really good throws. And their execution on third down I think was really good, and Mac looks like he fits perfectly into their offense and system. I was happy for him."
Defensive back Jason McCourty
"He didn't really make any mistakes, he was poised. Even watching him in the huddle getting guys in, yelling, commanding, and a lot of what he looked like in the preseason, is how he performed. He gave his team a chance to win. He didn't really make any mistakes, didn't throw any errant passes and he is a poised young guy. It was fun to see him and Tua as college teammates being on opposite sidelines and it is obviously a lot more fun when you come out with a win."
Cornerback Xavien Howard
"Like Jason [McCourty] said, he was poised. He didn't make many mistakes and put his team in position to win."
While the Patriots might not have been overly excited about much after the loss, they did still praise the performance of their QB.
Running back James White
"He definitely has a lot of poise. He stayed composed throughout the game. Obviously, everything wasn't perfect, but he kept us in it, keeping everybody motivated in the huddle. Obviously, it wasn't our best football game on offense, definitely got to play better in the red zone and create more points to help the defense out."
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor
"I thought he did well. I think he'll continue to get better too. That's the type of player he is and person he is."
"I think he is a guy that loves the game of football and I think he is a really resilient player. He stays in the game and plays hard and is only going to get better."
