What can Mac do to re-establish himself as Patriots' leader?

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After the debacle that was the New England Patriots' Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears, Mac Jones will look to bounce back Sunday vs. the New York Jets.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Jones will be ready for the Week 8 divisional matchup but given what transpired on Monday night, we still shouldn't rule out a possible Bailey Zappe cameo. If Jones' turnover woes continue, the confusion at the QB position could spill over into Week 9.

Curran: The clock is ticking on Mac Jones' turnaround

So, what does Jones need to do to re-establish himself as the Patriots' leader? Matt Cassel joined Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast and shared his take.

Patriots Talk: Is Mac Jones entering a make-or-break stretch with the Patriots? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

"It's about now reestablishing his role on this team as the starting quarterback. The only way to do that is to go out and play well," Cassel said. "His back's up against the wall and he's a guy that has dealt with adversity throughout his career. We heard him talk about his time at Alabama, his time in high school, all those things that he's had to deal with throughout his career.

"Now we're going to see it. He's gotta rise to the challenge and he's gotta go out and prove to not just himself, but also this team that he's the guy that's gonna lead the ship. The only way you do that is go out and perform well, take care of the football and do the things that he hasn't really done well throughout the course of this year."

Also discussed in the episode: Is Mac Jones entering a make-or-break stretch with the Patriots? Can a pocket passer win in today’s NFL? And a Patriots-Jets preview.

Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.

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