Ball Don’t Lie: 3 worst calls from Week 9 in the NFL
By Mark Powell
Patriots: Could Mac Jones be suspended?
Jones fumbled due to an excellent play from Panthers pass-rusher Brian Burns. It was just one of a litany of mistakes the rookie made in an eventual Patriots win in Carolina.
After fumbling, Jones wound up on the ground, grabbing at Burns’ leg. While dangerous, that wasn’t the immediate issue. If anything, it was Jones opting to twist Burns’ ankle in what looked like a fairly egregious attempt to injure him.
Mac Jones twisting Brian Burns’ lower leg. pic.twitter.com/BTPRcRfoXd
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) November 7, 2021
Burns was injured on the play. The Panthers have yet to hear back on his status, at least for now.
While it’s tough for officials to pick up on such a play in the moment, it ought to be reviewable, and Jones should’ve been ejected. He’s a competitor, sure, but Jones and Burns were out of the play at the given moment.
“I love Mac Jones. He’s a tremendous competitor. I have no idea what was in his brain. We can’t get guys hurt after the play,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said in the aftermath.
Hassan Reddick came after Jones as well.
Haasan Reddick did not hold back on Mac Jones' "dirty" play on Brian Burns and the "egregious" call the officials missed.
— Grace Remington (@GraceRemiTV) November 8, 2021
Here's his full comments and the field-level video of the play #Panthers #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/7cONbiWDJt
It’s unlikely that the Patriots quarterback will be suspended — signal-callers make the NFL world turn. But he ought to be fined at the very least, or it sets a bad precedent of what quarterbacks, the NFL players as a whole, can get away with.