QUARTERBACK MAC JONES
VIDEO PRESS CONFERENCE
January 5, 2021
On how it feels to practice inside the fieldhouse and how much it helped prepare for Miami weather:
MJ: I think we just practice where we're supposed to and we do a good job of trying to emulate how it's going to be in the game. That was good to get in there and all that and just get ready to play in maybe a little bit different weather than what we've been playing in.
On which area he has grown the most this season:
MJ: Every week is a new week. It's a grind and there's a lot that goes into it, but I'm really excited about this week and the opportunity we have as a team to play against a really good defense. We have to bring our 'A' game. That's what I've learned. Every week, it's really hard to win in the NFL and you have to play your best to give your team a chance to win. If you do that, then that's all you can ask for. That's really it.
On how they are preparing for Miami's blitzes:
MJ: They've done a really good job getting after the quarterback, creating negative plays, obviously, with sacks and all that. They've done really good there and have given quarterbacks they play against a lot of different looks, so we just have to be ready, follow what we know, and follow our rules. That's pretty much all there is to it. Like you said, they've done a really good job, so we've just got to be ready.
On the similarities between the Dolphins' defense and the Patriots':
MJ: Obviously, there are some similarities, but they are doing some different stuff and kind of adding their own flavor. They've done a really good job all year mixing it up. There are similarities, but they've changed a little bit too and have done a really good job, like I said, getting after the quarterback and being good on third down and all that. We just have to be ready to go. They have a good offense, too, that they practice against, so they see a good offense just like we see a good defense.
On Rhamondre Stevenson:
MJ: I think Rhamondre, speaking on us as rookies, coming in together, we've tried to work hard as a rookie class to be able to help the team. He's done a great job just coming in, working really hard, lifting, running, making plays when his number is called. He's done a great job and I love playing with a running back group that we have, with some of the older guys, in the beginning of the year, with James [White], obviously Brandon [Bolden], Damien [Harris], they've done a great job, just all of them, whenever they got their number called, to step up and do what they do.
On his role as a communicator on the team:
MJ: That's something I've tried to work on and tried to just be myself. Whenever I can do that, I play a lot better and then, obviously, the guys around me are doing exactly what they're supposed to do. My job is just to distribute the ball to them, so that's on the field. Then, obviously, making the corrections in between series, obviously, keeping everybody motivated, most importantly, having fun, and trying to create great plays that string together that turn into great drives, etc. It's a group effort and we're out there, trying to communicate, and just talk about what we've seen.
On who Alabama fans should be rooting for on Sunday between Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa:
MJ: I think it's more just the Patriots vs. the Dolphins. Tua's a great quarterback and he's done great stuff throughout his whole career. When we were together, he was a great teammate and a great player. Like I always say, we get a chance to go against their defense and they get to go against ours. We have two good teams competing against each other, so it'll be a lot of fun.
On how much Tua Tagovailoa helped him during the pre-draft process:
MJ: I think the whole experience was a learning experience and the more information you can gain when trying to play in the NFL, the better, so I reached out to a lot of different people. Obviously, I have a lot of room to grow and I'm still trying to learn. He's been a good resource, obviously, in the pre-draft process, but now that we're in the season, we're both just kind of doing our own thing.
On how his mindset has changed in preparing for Miami now compared to preparing for them Week 1:
MJ: Like I said, there's a lot of stuff that happens in between, but we have a chance to play against a really good defense. They were a really good defense in Week 1, but it's going to be a new game, obviously, down there at their place, so we have to be ready to go, just like Week 1, and try and play better than we did so that we can get more points… I tried to just learn along the way. Each week, starting with Week 1, you try things and try to adjust them to find out what works. I just try to listen to my coaches and prepare every day, prepare every week the same the best I can. From there, you develop some consistency to where you can feel comfortable with it, and you can kind of get into a rhythm, so I feel pretty comfortable.
On how he and the team has handled blitzes this year:
MJ: It just depends on the team and, like you said, the Dolphins have been doing that a lot more. We just have to communicate and understand our issues and all that. At the end of the day, we see a lot of good looks from our defense and they bring a lot of different looks too, so we have a lot of practice at it, but, like you said, they've done a great job at it all year, the Dolphins have, of just pressuring the quarterback, getting sacks, and creating negative plays.
On the difference in energy for the team following a win compared to when they had lost consecutive games:
MJ: The important thing is just listen to the message from the older guys on our team and the leadership that they provide. Just come in with a game plan and try to attack the week, regardless of the results, and just focus on the process of getting ready to play the next week. That's all you can ask for. You can't necessarily look at the past or be too focused on the future. You just have to be right where your feet are and come in with the right mindset. You have to try to do that every week and it's definitely a grind in the first year, but you've just got to keep pushing and figure it out.
