Mac Jones had to endure a tough playoff defeat with the New England Patriots. But the young quarterback can grow from it – and will, teammates believe.

Munich – When the evening turned nasty, Hunter Henry took his quarterback aside.

After six years in the NFL, the tight end knows games like this happen. And that a 17:47 loss by the New England Patriots to the rival Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round hurts – especially for a rookie quarterback. No question: Mac Jones had imagined his first playoff game differently.

The good news: great players learn from losses like these, take their lessons, implement them and get better.

Hunter Henry: “That’s the most important thing: improvement “

That was the message as Henry took to his somewhat deranged playmaker to build him up.

“I just wanted to reassure him that this is a big moment that we’re going to learn from and grow from and continue to improve,” the second-round pick from the 2016 draft said. “That’s the most important thing: improvement.”

Jones’ teammates have seen enough of 2021 to assume the rookie has learned his lessons. They have no doubt he’ll take that famous next step.

Receiver Jakobi Meyers has “felt like he’s been trying and consistent all season. Those were the two most important things for him: he was never sloppy and was always willing to work. “

Jones totaled 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 92.5 in what was a somewhat wild regular season for the Patriots. Against the Bills, he managed 232 yards and two touchdowns, but also made two interceptions.

Special praise from Bill Belichick

But Jones apparently emphatically won over his colleague with his attitude. “I think if all the guys have that attitude and we all come together and work this offseason, we’re going to have a really good offensive unit, skill unit going forward,” Meyers said.

Added guard Ted Karras: “I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great leader. He’s the ultimate professional and works very hard to improve and bring guys along. It’s been a lot of fun playing with him.”

There was also a “knighthood” of sorts from the coach. They are rare, but Bill Belichick handed out special praise to his quarterback: “He helped us a lot. I’m looking forward to working with him next season. “