Mac Jones dirty play: Did QB intentionally injure Panthers' Brian Burns?
The New England Patriots seem to have found their groove after a 24-6 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones seems to look more confident as he controls the Patriots offense.
Mac Jones' confidence, maturity and perhaps even the type of player he wants to portray himself as is now all in question after his actions on Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers.
Actions so questionable, that the National Football League will also be involved.
Did Patriots QB Mac Jones intend to hurt Brian Burns?
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns and subsequently fumbled the ball. After losing the ball and with both he and Burns on the ground, Jones grabbed Brian Burns' ankle. Not only did he stop him from pursuing the football amid the fumble but also appearing to twist Burns' ankle while he was still on the ground. The ball was recovered by Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Not to belabor the point, but you won't get a better look at the Mac Jones ankle twist than this one from NFL Films. You can clearly see the grab, the trip, and the roll. It's not great. https://t.co/pBjUnqJ8Wc
Brian Burns hobbled off the field and missed a series with the Panthers defense. He did later return to the field, looking as if he had avoided serious injury.
Jones, on the other hand, has been receiving criticism for his actions as he tried to pull Burns down. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said on his weekly radio show appearance that he didn't believe Mac Jones was playing dirty, but he believes that Jones thought Burns still had the ball and was trying to stop him.
There is apparently history dating back to both Jones and Burns high school days when they played for opposing high school football teams. Whether there was any type of altercation back then is unknown.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the NFL will look at footage of Mac Jones pulling Brian Burns as part of their weekly review. Jones could be fined for his actions but not a suspension. Several Panthers players said after the game that they were disappointed that Jones wasn't penalized at the time.
The NFL will review #Patriots QB Mac Jones grabbing Brian Burns' ankle Sunday as part of its normal process, I'm told. Jones faces a possible fine, but nothing more than that.
With the win over the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots are now 5-4 and once again contenders in the AFC East after a loss by the Buffalo Bills to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Carolina Panthers now sit at 4-5 at the bottom of the NFC South division.