The New England Patriots had an outstanding regular season, but now everything has changed with the postseason here. The Patriots have the Los Angeles Chargers coming into town for a Wild Card matchup, and cornerback Marcus Jones is a player who could be in the spotlight.
The Pats start Jones in the slot, but he had his ups and downs this season. The Chargers could attack him all Sunday evening, and how he responds will play a big role in whether the Patriots come away with the win or not.
Marcus Jones Will Be a Player to Watch in Patriots Wild Card Game
The Chargers mix wideouts Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen in the slot. Jones will be asked to slow down these guys, which could be a tall task.
McConkey had 516 total snaps in the slot this season, where he caught 40 passes (70 targets) with 405 receiving yards and two touchdowns, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He has created 2.9 yards of separation on average. Meanwhile, Allen had 218 snaps in the slot this campaign. In that alignment, he has reeled in 42 passes (54 targets) with 374 yards and a score. Just like McConkey, he averaged 2.9 yards per separation.
In comparison, Jones has given 30 receptions (45 targets) with 341 receiving yards and five touchdowns, lining up in the slot. The opposing quarterback has a rating of 107.7 when throwing his way in that alignment as well.
There's room for Jones to be attacked, especially with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III on the outside. This duo has done a great job limiting outside WRs, as both Gonzalez and Davis have not allowed a receiver to go over 50 receiving yards for the last seven weeks.
To Jones' credit, he has allowed 20 or fewer receiving yards from Weeks 16 to 18, according to Pro Football Focus. He is entering the postseason with some positive momentum, which is what the Pats want to see. Yet, fans shouldn't ignore the totality of the season since Jones has shown that he can be attacked in the slot.
Slowing down McConkey and Allen isn't an easy job. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has built an outstanding rapport with those two guys, and he'll certainly be looking their way in this contest. How Jones answers the call will be a major thing to watch.
The playoffs are a different beast, as the pressure will continue to mount. And plenty of attention will be on No. 25 for New England.