Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman criticized Mac Jones for failing to tackle Raiders defender Chandler Jones in a game-deciding last week. Edelman blamed the quarterback’s lack of preparation and poor attitude for the Patriots’ shocking 30-24 defeat.
“He doesn’t practice all the antics after plays and waving off coaches and all these little pissy faces and stuff,” Edelman said on Inside the NFL. “He doesn’t practice that and he does it. Why can’t he make the tackle?”
Edelman is not the first to criticize Jones for poor play this season, as the quarterback has had no trouble voicing his frustrations all season, earning mixed reactions from numerous experts and analysts. He has already been benched at numerous points on a Patriots team in contention for a playoff spot despite troubles under center.
Former Patriots lineman Vince Wilfork also criticized Jones in a televised segment. Wilfork’s comments were more general, suggesting that the quarterback was not taking accountability for the offense’s struggles.
“I’m tired of that, honestly. I’m tired of it,” Wilfork said on “The Gameplan,” a local NBC Sports program. “You’re the leader of this team. You’re a quarterback. So you can’t be frustrated every single week, every single play. I don’t care if you’re getting the play called in late or whatever it may be. At the end of the day, you have to show some poise because you operate the ship. You’re the head of the ship when you’re out there. … Control what you can control. That’s all you can do. But I’m tired of seeing him throwing a fit.”
