New England Patriots: 3 most important plays of Week 8 vs. Browns
1. Jonathan Jones’ hustle play
If the Cleveland Browns weren’t rattled by the Lawrence Guy unlikely interception, their spirit has to be dampened on the series prior when Nick Chubb broke through the New England Patriots defense for 40-plus yards just to give the ball up inside the Patriots 20-yard line.
The score was 10-0 at the time, and if Chubb does not fumble, the Browns have a golden opportunity to get back in the game. But, the speed and hustle of Jonathan Jones on this play prevented that from happening.
Talk about not quitting on a play. It really showed how the entire defense has been committed to playing as an entire entity.
"“Jon’s really fast,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said after the game, via Patriots.com. “He plays with great effort all of the time and he’s made so many big plays for us in the four years that he’s been here. That was a tremendous play. He just tracked [Nick] Chubb down and timed the slap perfectly. I’m not even sure who got the ball but getting it out was half the battle and then recovering it was the other half of the battle. I thought the defense as a team, our effort and hustle on that play really speaks to the level of commitment that those guys have out there for each other and for the team.”"
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As one of the unheralded players on this New England Patriots defense, Jonathan Jones is showing why he did earn a contract extension going into the season. His speed and physicality in the secondary have been a real factor through the first eight games of the season.
Don’t be surprised if he makes a couple more big, impactful plays in the second half of the season.