NFL players, analysts blast Mac Jones for ‘dirty’ play vs. Bengals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Is Mac Jones a dirty player?
The New England Patriots quarterback has drawn the ire of multiple current and former NFLers for a controversial play made during Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. After Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt picked up what he thought was a fumble and ran toward the end zone, Jones blocked cornerback Eli Apple with a questionable slide into his legs.
Apple called Jones out after the game for what he considered a “dirty play.”
“Of course I did (notice it). He tripped me,” Apple said after the game, per NESN.com. “I thought it was a dirty play. He’s done that before, I’ve seen it.”
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Fellow NFL cornerback Darius Slay agrees. The five-time Pro Bowler reacted to Jones’ hit with a strong tweet.
“Dirty af!” Slay wrote.
Indanapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II wrote In response to Slay’s tweet, “nahhh what did I just watch.”
Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark, now an analyst for ESPN, agreed with a tweet that called Jones a dirty player.
“All facts, and he should be looked at that way every single week,” he wrote. “Now, the boys know how to approach him each week… AND OFFICIALS SHOULD TOO!
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Jones could face discipline but won’t be suspended for the incident.
Jones told his side of the story Monday on WEEI.
“Obviously, I went down in front of him to kind of get in the way, to stop him from slowing down Tyquan, who obviously could make the tackle there,” Jones said. “Just kind of went down in front of him and tried to stop a fast guy from getting to another fast guy. Just a split-second decision, and there’s a lot that goes into it. You’re out there trying to compete, and it’s a physical game, so just trying to help the team win.”
It isn’t the first time Jones has been called a dirty player by his NFL peers. Last season, Jones was the subject of a similar controversy when he grabbed and twisted the ankle of Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns.