As the New England Patriots shift their focus toward this week’s matchup with the New York Jets, here are four final thoughts on Sunday’s 35-29 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys:
— Mac Jones only attempted 21 passes in this game — he’d thrown 30 or more in each of his first five starts — but the rookie quarterback showed marked growth in one important area: deep passing.
Over the first five weeks, Jones was just 4-for-19 on passes that traveled at least 20 yards downfield, per Pro Football Focus. More than half of those attempts came in a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, when he repeatedly tried and failed to hit receivers on vertical routes.