Pats Pulpit
For Robert Spillane, one of the biggest moments in the New England Patriots’ wild card playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers came midway through the first quarter.
Backed up after a Drake Maye interception, the team’s defense successfully kept the Chargers offense out of the end zone on back-to-back plays. On third down from the 3-yard line, however, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert found an opening. Taking off through the left-side A-gap against a three-man rush, he had only one player between him and the first touchdown of the game.
That player was Marcus Jones, who is giving up 10 inches and 48 pounds to the Pro Bowl QB.
And yet, despite his size deficits, Jones managed to tackle Herbert short of the goal line. One play later, an incomplete pass resulted in a turnover on downs and the game remaining a scoreless tie.
While every single play was needed for the Patriots to complete their first quarter stand versus the Chargers, Jones’ tackle on Herbert in particular stood out. Just ask the aforementioned Robert Spillane.
“You look at Marcus Jones’ tackle on a 6-foot-[6] quarterback who’s running downhill on the 2-yard line. For him to be able to get him down on the ground, such a huge play that ultimately changes the game for us,” Spillane said about his fellow team captain.
For Jones himself, it was just doing his job and overcoming his stature. At 5-foot-8, 188 pounds, he is one of the smallest players on the Patriots’ roster and nowhere near the same build as the 6-foot-6, 236-pound Herbert.
And yet, none of that mattered on Sunday.
“I kind of think I’m 6-foot-3 out there as well. Some people could say it’s little man syndrome, but I just see myself than what I am,” Jones said after the Patriots’ 16-3 victory. “We had a certain coverage and everything, so that was good. I ended up seeing no one was in my area. Typically in those situations, quarterbacks extend plays. If they don’t see anything, they’re beginning to run. So, I was glad to be in the right position at the right time.”
The play was one of several positive ones made by Jones, who finished with six tackles, a third-down pass breakup and a strip sack. With him leading the way, the Patriots managed to outperform their opposition on critical downs in particular.
On third and fourth down, the Chargers went a combined 2-for-13.
“We knew going into the game they were a good third down offense,”Jones said. “Our main thing is always to end up putting them in certain situations. So, get back on track, having a good first down so that they are behind the sticks on second down. So, being able to do those things — kind of put it into our hands — because we are also good on third down. We were just trying to make sure we play good first and second down defense.”
