Mac Jones Delivers in the Fourth to Lift the Patriots Past the Chargers

It wasn’t his prettiest day throwing the football, but Patriots quarterback Mac Jones delivered in the fourth quarter when his team needed him the most. New England earned their first signature win of the season taking down the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 on the road to improve to 4-4 this season.

The former Alabama quarterback led an 11-play, 55-yard drive in the fourth quarter that drained 6:56 off the clock. Jones went 4-for-4 for 42 yards on the drive, including a pair of 15-yard completions to Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry. He also moved the chains himself with a QB sneak on third-and-short.

The drive resulted in a 30-yard field goal that put the Patriots up by 10 with 2:19 remaining in the game.

Jones got off to a hot start, leading the Patriots to a touchdown on the opening possession for the fourth consecutive week. On that drive, Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for a 14-yard completion on third-and-nine and then he connected with Agholor for a 44-yard gain to set up a Damien Harris one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at seven.

"I definitely didn't have my best day at all. I think everyone around me had a great day, that's what football is about," Jones said. "I have to find ways to improve in that aspect of being consistent and making the throws I know I can make. The offensive line did a great job of keeping me clean. The receivers were getting open, and the backs were running hard and protecting."

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After starting the game 6-of-9 passing, Jones went just 2-of-13 to end the first half and finished the day 18-of-35 for 218 yards.

"I can definitely play better, and I'll put that on me," Jones said. "Everyone around me did a great job; special teams, defense played great. I think we just played together and didn't quit. The effort was there. The guys around me played well, so that's all there is to it.

"We finished strong. That's the moral of the story, just finish strong. It feels better to be on the winning side, when not playing as well, than it does to be on the losing side."

The Patriots will travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers, next Sunday, Nov. 7.