How Mac Jones fared in NFL debut vs. Dolphins

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Mac Jones' NFL debut is in the books, and it was an encouraging one for the New England Patriots rookie quarterback.

Jones was the bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 17-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the opener. After a shaky start that included his first dropback nearly resulting in a disastrous fumble, Jones settled down and looked impressive the rest of the way.

Jones makes history with his first NFL start

Late in the fourth quarter, Jones put the Patriots in a position to pull off the game-winning drive before running back Damien Harris' costly turnover. All in all, it was a promising night for Jones but an upsetting one for New England as its season begins with a brutal loss to its AFC East foe.

Here was Jones' final stat line for the night:

29/39, 281 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 102.6 rating

And here were the top highlights from the Alabama product's first NFL game:

Jones' first career touchdown pass was a seven-yard completion to Nelson Agholor to put New England ahead in the second quarter.

In true Patriot fashion, Jones had no interest in his individual accomplishment. When Agholor tried to give him the ball from his major milestone, Jones said "thanks, but no thanks."

Jones settled in with some big throws in the second half, including a first-down completion to Agholor while under pressure on 2nd and 15.

Another one of Jones' nicest throws of the night came late in the third quarter with James White on the wheel route:

Next up for Jones and the Patriots is a matchup vs. fellow rookie QB Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

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