QUARTERBACK MAC JONES
Press Conference
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
On Trevon Diggs:
MJ: He's a great player, and I got a chance to practice against him a lot at Alabama, and he has a really good feel for the game. He's very instinctual, very smart, fast, quick, explosive, strong, so he does it all really well. I'm really proud of how he's been playing, and it's going to be fun to get a chance to be on the field with him again.
On if he was ever intercepted by Diggs in practice at Alabama:
MJ: Oh yeah. He definitely made plays, and we had a lot of good players. We don't have to talk about the past, but it was good experience to get whoever it was back there, playing against guys who are in the NFL right now starting, so it was good experience.
On if he has to be aware of where Diggs is on the field at all times:
MJ: Yeah. For sure. He's all over the tape. He's sideline to sideline making plays, playing his technique, and you have to be aware of where he is at all times. He makes plays. It's not just him, too. There are other guys on the team that are also making plays, and they all play hard, and they play together. It's a really good all-around defense. They play together as a team, and we've got to be ready to go. Obviously, you can't be afraid of anyone.
On if he is not going to look Diggs' way on Sunday:
MJ: Obviously, you can't be afraid of anybody or anything like that. You just have to know where he's at because you have to respect him, respect his game, respect his knowledge and respect everybody on that defense and that coaching staff because they do a good job in preparation, and it showed up on the tape. We have all the respect in the world for those guys. They're playing really well, and it'll be a lot of fun to just compete with them.
On if the team's game-winning drive last week was fueled by knowing that they "had to have it":
MJ: Yes and no. I think a lot of that is outcome thinking which is bad. I'm just trying to focus on not the result and what you're supposed to do each play and don't put a consequence, good or bad, on the play. That's what the best players do in whatever sport it is. They don't care about the situation necessarily. They understand the pressure that's implied, but they trust their training, and they go back to what they've known and learned throughout their years of playing. I try to look at people who do a good job of that. There are guys on our team who do a good job of that, and I've learned a lot from them and all the situational football that we've had in practice. That's, obviously, a great learning experience starting there.
On the Cowboys offense and if there is more pressure on him this week going up against Dallas' high-powered offense:
MJ: Yeah. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and you just have to go toe-to-toe and try and just compete and focus on yourself, but they do a great job. I don't watch offensive film, but I've seen some crossover film, and they move the ball well, and they've got great players. We just have to play our game and realize that, like I always say, it's 11-on-11, and our offense versus their defense, and when we switch, they'll be going against our defense, so that's as simple as it needs to be.
On his confidence with play-action passes:
MJ: I think, going back to when I was little, that's something that I've always enjoyed doing. When you have a good run game and have an offensive line like we do, you can create the movement and they step up, or don't and you just have to find the windows. Not to get into all the X's and O's, but play-action is part of the game just like drop-back passes and quick game or shots, or whatever you want. I've got to do better at everything, and that's an area I've put a lot of stress on, and everybody on our team does a good job with it, so I've just got to keep improving and finding ways to get guys the ball.
On what he thinks he needs to improve on the most:
MJ: I'd say just sticking to my reads and following what they're telling me to do. It's not that I don't know what to do. It's just, sometimes, I might skip something or see something. I just need to stick to what I've been taught and do it and just play. At the end of the day, you can't go out there and have sticky fingers. You've got to kind of react and play how you know how to play. Sometimes I might see something that some people don't see, but at the same time, when we watch the film, we always get back on the same page, and I've just got to do a better job of that and realizing that they don't have to touch the ball. You can do other things, throw the ball away, whatever, just to make sure that doesn't happen.
On what it has been like getting to know Hunter Henry:
MJ: He's a great dude. Just going back to OTAs, when he came, I got to throw with him, and he's just a real likable guy. A great teammate, and he has fun with the game, but he also takes it very seriously. It means a lot to him to do it the right way. He's a perfectionist like a lot of us on the offense. He's been great. He's a new player in this system, too. We have a few of those, but at this point, we're kind of evolving away from the kind of new player. At this point, we need to come together and we are. He's doing a good job just like a lot of the other guys are.
On how the players pick each other up on offense after bad plays:
MJ: I think just staying positive. Just talking with each other and realizing that we're going to mess up, and it's not going to be perfect, which is hard, but I think we do have guys on our team that, obviously, want to have fun. We realize that the fun part is the winning part, so when we do that, it's fun. When we don't, it's not, so that's what it comes down to.
On NOBULL:
MJ: It's a great company. I'm blessed to be a part of their team and stuff, but it's comfortable. You should maybe get a pair.
On if there are similarities between the Cowboys defense and the Jets defense:
MJ: Every week there are adjustments that have to be made based on what we see on film, and a lot of teams have crossover coaches that have worked together in the past, so you kind of have to know their tree and where the coaches come from. Dan Quinn's done a great job, whether he's a head coach or defensive coordinator in the past couple years. He does what he does, and we'll be ready for whatever they bring. Like every week, there's something new, and there's something different, but you can't chase a ghost. You kind of expect what to expect.
On if he thinks of Hunter Henry as his security blanket:
MJ: I feel good with Hunter, but I feel good with everybody. There's designed plays for certain people sometimes, but at the end of the day, I'm executing my job and they're doing theirs, so there are guys open and I've miss some of them, which I always go back and watch. I feel bad because I want to get them the ball, but Hunter does a great job getting open just like everybody else. That's their job, and my job is to get them the ball. I try to keep it simple and I'll continue to do that.
On how his dog, Rose, is doing:
MJ: She's good. She got a haircut, so she's shaved, but she's getting her hair back, but she's doing good. She's so young, and we got it a little matted because we couldn't cut it because she had to get her shots. She's back on track.
