FOXBORO – Sunday wound up being a banner day for the Patriots’ offense and protection. However halfway via the primary quarter of their beatdown of the Panthers, each of these items have been scuffling.
Carolina opened the sport with a seven-play, 76-yard landing drive. New England adopted with a three-and-out. Mike Vrabel’s squad wanted a spark.
Enter Marcus Jones.
After the Panthers’ second possession stalled out, Jones fielded Sam Martin’s punt deep in his personal territory, slithered his means round 4 would-be tacklers and raced 87 yards for a landing.
.@MarcusJonesocho TO THE HOUSE 💥
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— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 28, 2025
The Patriots dominated from that time ahead, scoring six consecutive touchdowns en path to a 42-13 rout at Gillette Stadium.
“I feel that’s what we’ve been searching for,” Vrabel mentioned postgame. “I talked about that all through coaching camp and the way these return items have to be a weapon for us. We’ve bought the one kickoff return (landing in Week 2), however to have the ability to try this on the punt return, implausible effort by Marcus and all people else on the market. I feel a whole lot of that was simply his personal particular person will, talent and energy.
“Once more, that needs to be a weapon. It was one thing that we felt like could possibly be via this season and preparing for this 12 months.”
New England wasn’t organising for a big-play return in that second – Vrabel despatched out his punt-safe “grey staff,” which featured big-bodied defensive tackles Milton Williams and Khyris Tonga – and a number of teammates appeared shocked when Jones didn’t name for a good catch with two Panthers protection gamers bearing down on him.
Why didn’t he?
“I’m fairly ruthless again there,” Jones mentioned, smiling.
For good motive.
“The man is electrical,” particular teamer Brenden Schooler mentioned. “We’re on the market in our protected punt return, simply based mostly off down and distance and the place they have been on the sphere, and (it was) him simply being Marcus. Simply fielding the ball, making a pair guys miss … after which simply seeing him taking off down the sphere. Then it was only a useless dash making an attempt to catch as much as him.”
Schooler was concerned within the different punt-return landing Jones scored for the Patriots: the last-second, walk-off rating that beat the New York Jets in 2022. Jones’ play-making capacity is well-documented – he additionally has receiving and interception return touchdowns on his resume – however coming into Sunday, the 5-foot-8 dynamo hadn’t discovered the top zone in any section since his rookie season, when he made first-team All-Professional as a returner.
“To have such a dynamic returner like him again there, it’s a menace, even once we’re in our protected punt return,” Schooler mentioned. “Most groups will simply fair-catch it, take the ball the place you get it. However to have a man like that who’s going to make one or two guys miss each time, after which simply depend on us (blockers) to only be in the way in which, basically, it’s superior to have him again there.”
The 87-yard scamper wasn’t Jones’ solely massive acquire in opposition to Carolina. He additionally ripped off a 61-yard punt return within the second quarter, racing from sideline to sideline and breaking three tackles earlier than Martin tripped him up on the 14-yard line.
Although humbling – Jones mentioned he’s certain his teammates are “going to say some stuff about me within the assembly rooms” about his failure to get previous the punter – that return gave the Patriots’ offense prime area place. Antonio Gibson – certainly one of six Patriots touchdown-scorers on the day – plunged in 4 performs later to place New England forward 28-6.
“Marcus Jones, can’t say sufficient about him,” quarterback Drake Maye mentioned. “Shoot, he’s one of the best within the recreation at it.”
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— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 28, 2025
A 19-yard runback late within the third quarter springboarded yet one more Patriots landing drive – and cemented Jones’ place within the Patriots’ document books. His 165 punt-return yards have been a single-game franchise document, surpassing the earlier excessive of 157 set by Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Mike Haynes. He additionally grew to become simply the second Patriot because the NFL/AFL merger to document a number of punt returns of 60-plus yards in the identical recreation, becoming a member of Gunner Olszewski. His 4 profession 60-plus-yard runbacks are tied with Julian Edelman for essentially the most in staff historical past.
“Golly, it’s enjoyable seeing that,” Maye mentioned. “… I certain hope they preserve kicking it to him, as a result of he’s enjoyable to look at.”
Vrabel hopes Jones, who additionally added 5 tackles on protection, continues to carry that kind of game-changing quick-strike capacity to New England’s punt return staff.
Although the Patriots have been efficient on kickoff returns this season – headlined by Gibson’s Week 2 landing that helped push them previous the Dolphins – they got here into Sunday ranked twenty third within the NFL in common yards per punt return (8.8).
“He’s not the largest participant, however he’s bought nice play energy with the soccer in his hand,” the pinnacle coach mentioned. “He’s bought nice imaginative and prescient, and you must be fearless at some stage to catch that punt and know that you just’re going to make the primary man miss. We’re assured in that. It’s only a pure talent. It’s onerous to show. It’s onerous to show with all these our bodies in site visitors and catching it first and making nice choices with it again there.
“It’s a whole lot of consolation with him again there, and we have to proceed to make it a weapon.”
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