Outstanding November earns Mac Jones, J.C. Jackson NFL Player of the Month honors

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The New England Patriots went undefeated in November, finishing 4-0 thanks to some impressive performances in all three phases of the game. Two players have stood out in particular, though, at least according to the NFL: quarterback Mac Jones and cornerback J.C. Jackson.

Their outstanding play has now earned each a Player of the Month award. While Jones was voted the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of November, Jackson received the honor as the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Month.

Jones, the Patriots’ first-round draft pick earlier this year, completed 76 of his 99 pass attempts in November for a 76.8 percent completion rate — second best in the league over that span. The Alabama product threw for 854 yards as well as seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. With him at the helm, the New England offense averaged 29 points per game last month.

Jones has now joined wide receiver Deion Branch as the only Patriot to win the Offensive Rookie of the Month award; Branch earned it in September 2002. He also is the first of the team’s rookie players on either side of the ball to do so since linebacker Chandler Jones in September 2012.

Jackson, meanwhile, is the fourth Patriots defensive back to be named an AFC Player of the Month: Eugene Wilson (Sep. 2004), Devin McCourty (Sep. 2019) and Stephon Gilmore (Oct. 2019) all earned the honor before him.

The former undrafted free agent, who is in the final year of his contract, registered a league-high four interceptions last month, including an 88-yard pick-six against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. He also forced a fumble and registered six passes defensed on a defense that surrendered a mere 6.5 points per game during its four November contests.

The Patriots’ unbeaten November allowed them to move from 4-4 to 8-4, and jump to the top of the AFC East standings.