Jones was one of the bright spots Thursday night.
New England Patriots rookie defensive end Chandler Jones (95) lines up against New Orleans Saints tight end David Thomas (85) during their first NFL preseason football game against the New Orleans Saints in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. FOXBOROUGH – It was a bit of a surprise when Chandler Jones was on the field at the start of the Patriots’ preseason opener.
By the second snap it was clear why he was out there. By halftime the rookie defensive end had minds wondering about future possibilities.
Head coach Bill Belichick refused to pump up Jones after the Patriots’ 7-6 victory over the New Orleans Saints, saying only that “he did some good things,” but his teammates weren’t as shy.
“He’s, like, six inches taller than me. He’s got the length in his arms. He’s got all the tools,” fellow defensive end Rob Ninkovich said of the 6-foot-5 Jones. “For him, now, it’s just studying who he’s going against and fine tuning.”
Jones was pretty close to being pitch perfect Thursday night against New Orleans. He finished the game with just two tackles while playing much of the first half, but his impact was felt all over the field.
On the second play from scrimmage, Jones chased Saints quarterback Drew Brees from the pocket and forced him to throw the ball away. During the third series he forced Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod to hold him on consecutive plays to singlehandedly kill the drive.
“He’s a specimen, I don’t have too much else to say,” Bushrod said. “He was excited, just like any other rookie.”
Jones was certainly something Thursday night.