FOXBOROUGH - The idea that any one man can cover Tyreek Hill consistently is foolish. He's the best receiver in football, or in that argument with Justin Jefferson. But the Patriots have a guy, Jon Jones, that has contributed to slowing down the fastest player in football.
It started back in the AFC Championship game back in the 2018-19 season. The Pats doubled Hill 40% of the time, crafting a master plan that held the Chiefs scoreless in the first half of a game for the first time that entire season. Jones played a significant role, often running stride for stride with "Cheetah." At the time, Jones was just a young player, just a couple of years removed from being an undrafted free-agent signee. Now? He's on his third contract with the Pats, who once again could find himself with a major role in stopping - or at least marginally slowing down - Hill Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
"He has an incredible skill set," said Jones. "It's just one of those things, a guy like that, he's explosive. He can take a 3-yard pass and take it the distance. He keeps the defense on its toes on every play."
But the Pats do the same to Hill, exposing him to various looks, including having Jones go toe-to-toe with the Dolphins wide receiver. They did that a fair amount in week one last year, and even though the clip above doesn't show success, it went better than most could ever claim. Six targets, four catches, and just 50 yards. That's got to give Jones confidence as he heads into this matchup, right?
"A little bit," he admitted. "But the past is the past. Every year, you're going out there to prove something different. Last year, Tua (Tagovailoa) only played in one of our games…"
Fast forward to this year, when Tua is coming off the season opener, where he threw for nearly 500 yards. That only happens with Hill. He had 215 of those yards. Those numbers look outrageous. The performance lived up to it. Digs, go routes, fades, posts, slot wheels. The Dolphins used eight different route concepts to find their top target. It worked. It all worked.
"He's continued to get better," Jones noted. "I think he spoke about that with the media last week, with his releases and things like that. So you just want to continue to dial in because year after year, he's continued to improve."
But so has Jones. He's no longer just a special teamer or speed matchup player. The days of him being a slot-only defender are also gone. Last year, the 30-year-old had to play outside, at first by necessity, but then because he was the Pats' best player in that role.
He gave up size nearly every week, but he never looked out of place, even if some days were better than others. Bill Belichick called him one of the team's very best players, and based on the amount of responsibility he and the defensive staff continue to place on Jones, nothing has changed.
Part of that is because Jones knows that most wide receivers, Hill included, prefer to avoid being engaged in combat every single play. But for the Pats corner, his game plan for the Dolphins star plays across the board for every player he lines up against.
"You just try to be physical," Jones said. "You try to hit him when you can, slow him down, try to match speed with speed. That's your best bet."
The same would hold true if or when Jones finds himself lined up across the other explosive receiver for Miami, Jaylen Waddle. The former Alabama product and a man who once said he'd take Mac Jones over Tua (heading into Mac's draft three years ago) has three touchdowns in four games against the Patriots and put last year's opener out of reach with this play.“That whole unit, they stretch defenses out when you play zone,” said Jones. “When you play man, you’re running around all day chasing them. They just have tremendous skillset between the two of them. They can stretch the field, and Waddle’s not slow either. So kind of have both sides to do.”
This task won't fall on Jones alone. First-round rookie Christian Gonzalez will have to use his length and athleticism to keep these receivers in front of him - he did a great job of that vs. the Eagles - and whoever finds themselves in the slot - be it Myles Bryant or Marcus Jones or Jon at some point, I"m sure - will need to identify who's lined up across from them and adjust accordingly. But the Pats' defense showed they were one step ahead, sometimes two, last Sunday, and I suspect they'll have a good plan as they jump into the AFC East for the first time.
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