On Christmas Eve at Gillette Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the New England Patriots, 22-18. Eli Apple, a Bengals cornerback, criticised Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for what he thought was a “dirty play” following the victory. Jones is reportedly being punished as a result now.
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Mac Jones, the quarterback for the Patriots, has previously been a part of several dubious plays. For any of them, he has not yet received a fine. In the wake of his contentious low block on Bengals cornerback Eli Apple on Saturday during Cincinnati’s defeat, Jones is probably second-guessing his actions. Especially considering that Jones’ decision will ultimately hurt his funds.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Patriots quarterback will be fined $11,139 for the low block, which occurred during a change of possession, during which all blocks below the waist are a violation.
Jones appeared to go out of his way to take out Apple’s legs following a fumble recovery by Cincinnati. He was pursuing linebacker Germaine Pratt, who had scooped up the ball, and then appeared to be looking for Apple behind the play.
After the game, Apple accused Jones of being a dirty player.
Mac Jones says he wasn’t trying to harm Eli Apple
Jones claimed he wasn’t trying to harm Apple on the play when he spoke about the circumstance on WEEI earlier in the day. In what appeared to be a lost fumble with Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt sprinting toward the Patriots’ end zone, he claimed he was merely trying to stop Apple from catching Tyquan Thornton.
Jones’ decision to stand in Apple’s way undoubtedly annoyed the veteran cornerback, who later referred to it as a “dirty play.” Darius Slay, a cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, expressed his thoughts on the matter as well and was unmistakably in agreement with Apple.
Jones has been the subject of contentious plays before, including one from the previous campaign when Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns objected to Jones’ ankle grab on him. Jones could have avoided a fine on that play, but not this one.
The Patriots have had a difficult season. The failure of Jones, who finished his sophomore season with 2,550 passing yards, nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 65.6 completion percentage, and 30 sacks, was a major factor in New England’s struggles.
With a record of 7-8, New England is still vying for a playoff spot. It still has two challenging divisional games left to play, against the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills.
