In a freak play on the last offensive drive of the game for the New England Patriots, quarterback Mac Jones suffered a left ankle injury and hopped off the playing field in a 37-28 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones needs assistance exiting the field at Foxboro Stadium after suffering an ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens. Jones is expected to miss time with a high-ankle sprain. (Image: AP)
Initial x-rays were negative on Sunday. Jones underwent an MRI on Monday, which revealed the severity of the injury. He was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain.
The Patriots indicated there is no timetable on his recovery. Jones expected to spend time on the IR, but head coach Bill Belichick would not confirm or deny their future plans.
Until we get more information, I’m not going to speculate wildly on what it would or wouldn’t be,” Belichick said during a radio interview on Monday morning.
Brian Hoyer, the backup quarterback behind Jones, is expected to start in Week 4 for the Patriots against the Green Bay Packers.
Rookie Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky, began the season as the Patriots’ third-string quarterback. If the Patriots don’t bring in another veteran quarterback, Zappe will get promoted to backup duties.
Oddsmakers anticipate that Jones could miss several games, which in turn affected the NFL futures market. The Patriots saw their Super Bowl LVII futures slip from +5000 to +7000, according to the latest update by DraftKings.
Patriots Start 1-2
The Ravens defeated the Patriots 37-26 in a high-scoring battle of 1-1 teams. The Patriots were +2.5 home dogs at Foxboro heading into Week 3.
The Patriots jumped ahead 10-7 in the second quarter thanks to a three-yard rushing touchdown from Jones. The Ravens took a 14-13 lead into halftime, but the Patriots scored a touchdown on a seven-play, 75-yard drive to open the third quarter. The Patriots led 20-14, but that would be their last lead of the game.
The Ravens pulled away in the third quarter with 17 unanswered points. The Patriots cut the deficit to 31-26 early in the fourth quarter before Lamar Jackson slammed the door shut on a comeback with a nine-yard touchdown late for the Ravens in the fourth quarter.
Jackson tossed four touchdowns and rushed for another in the victory. He led the Ravens with 107 rushing yards and added 218 passing yards in the road win.
Jones struggled against the Ravens and threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns in the loss. He completed 22-of-32 passes for 321 yards, but the Patriots allowed three sacks.
Jones suffered an ankle injury on the Patriots’ final offensive drive of the game. He threw his third interception of the game, which sealed a victory for the Ravens. Jones collided with Ravens’ lineman Calais Campbell and hopped off the field in order to avoid putting any pressure on his ankle.
I was just trying to get pressure on him, hit him, make him uncomfortable and make him throw an interception,” said Campbell after the game. “That was just a good football play. I hate to see him get hurt. That’s the worst part of this game.”
Although Jones got off the field by himself, teammates carried him into the locker room after the game.
Here’s the Mac Jones injury.
Severe left ankle injury.
— Savage (@SavageSports_) September 25, 2022
Patriots/Packers Point Spread Jumps After Jones Injury
Hoyer is the next man up on the depth chart. He’s been relegated to backup quarterback duty during his seven seasons with the Patriots. Hoyer has a 16-23 career record as a starter during stints with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Chicago Bears.
Brian’s been here a long time,” center David Andrews told ESPN. “I have a lot of respect for how he comes in and works every day and prepares like he is going to play.”
The Westgate SuperBook opened the Week 4 look-ahead line with the Packers installed as a -6.5 favorite at home against the Patriots. On Sunday afternoon, the Westgate adjusted the line to -7.5. When the video replay of Jones hobbling off the field made the rounds, the line quickly changed to -8.5. By the end of the Sunday Night Football game, early bettors pushed the line to -9.5.
After Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network confirmed the MRI results on Monday morning, the Westgate line in the Patriots/Packers game moved to -10.5. At DraftKings, the line went as high as -11.
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