Fox News Flash top headlines for November 12
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
Mac Jones is prepping for one of the biggest games of his young professional career as the New England Patriots look to launch a potential run to the playoffs Sunday with a win over the Cleveland Browns.
While much could be said for Jones’ passing ability and the way he’s meshed with the offense his first several games, coach Bill Belichick highlighted a focus on the fundamentals when it comes to Patriots quarterbacks.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones passes during the first half of a game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
"First of all, I think Mac came in with good fundamentals from high school and at Alabama with [Nick] Saban, but a lot of his mechanics, ball handling — things like that — are pretty good. Like every player in every position, they can always be improved and refined a little bit," Belichick said.
"There are so many little things when you handle the ball on every play. Even though you might give it to somebody in the running game, there are a lot of little things that go with that. Sometimes, things like just how good a quarterback is on handoffs or how good he is on getting the ball deep to the running back, sometimes that extra split second that the running back has because he gets the ball sooner or he gets it a little bit deeper is the difference in a cut that could result in yards, maybe multiple yards, or maybe a few yards, or a quicker cut at the line of scrimmage."
Belichick mentioned it’s the smaller things an average fan may not notice when watching a game.
CAM NEWTON ADDRESSES PANTHERS RETURN, READY TO GET BACK TO WORK
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Nov. 7, 2021 in Charlotte, N.C. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
"A lot of people don’t really see that. They just see the guy with the ball, but where he gets it, how he gets it, how clean that he gets it, and the quarterback being able to hold sometimes the defender on the backside of a play or make him hesitate for just a split second — things like that — on screen passes, being able to move a defender opposite of a screen and give a little bit more space on a misdirection play, those are all little things, but they can make a huge, huge difference in the result of the play. You’re right. They’re very important," he said.
"We harp on those fundamentals all the time. I hit them every week. Those little things can really add up. I think you see players like Tom [Brady] improve. As long as he played, he continued to work hard on those. We’d talk about them a lot. It’s now the same thing with Cam [Newton] or Mac.
"All those little things, how really important they are in the success of the plays when the quarterback is not throwing the ball. Can’t overemphasize the importance of them. They’re little. A lot of them go unseen, but they really matter. I agree with Coach [Kevin] Stefanski on how young quarterbacks really can improve on that, especially where maybe their talent and their throwing, the passing of the ball was really the big thing for them. At this level, every little thing can make a difference."
Jones has put his name squarely into the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation with the likes of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones throws during the first half of an a game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Patriots are 5-4 to start the season, and Jones has led the Patriots to wins in four of their last five games. He has thrown for 2,135 yards and 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
That Pats face a stiff challenge this week. Cleveland is 10th in points allowed and third in yards allowed in the NFL this season.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
