Patriots' Jalen Mills isn't satisfied with any 'moral victories'
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Jalen Mills is tired of the excuses and the speculation surrounding the New England Patriots this season. For the first time since 2001, the Patriots have started the season 0-2, but have managed to fight back from a slow start and narrowly complete the comeback. Yet, Mills is done with the "almosts." […]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Jalen Mills is tired of the excuses and the speculation surrounding the New England Patriots this season.
For the first time since 2001, the Patriots have started the season 0-2, but have managed to fight back from a slow start and narrowly complete the comeback. Yet, Mills is done with the "almosts."
"No moral victories," Mills told A to Z Sports. "It's the media's job to say how good a team is and how bad a team is. We know who we are. We know we're a good team."
"But at the end of the day, it's no more, 'Oh we were almost there,' Mills added. "We know we're a good team, but it's just about having that discipline and having that attitude that we're gonna finish these close game."
In the first two games of the 2023 season, the win came down to a fourth down for the Patriots. And both times they were unable to convert.
So Mills is clear when he states what is missing: finishing the game.
"It's still early in the season, so I don't think there's a loss of motivation. Also it's two close games, so just all about finishing," Mills said. "And that starts at practice. Working every day – Wednesday, Thursday Friday, even Saturday through our walkthroughs. Just the discipline part about it. And I mean, we're right there, but it's just about getting over the hump."
Regardless of the poor start, the Patriots have 15 games remaining this season and they are far from done. Instead of getting down on themselves, Mills and the rest of the team is using the doubts as increased motivation and are focusing on the next challenge ahead instead of looking in the past or focusing too far in the future,
"I don't think so. I think it's just more about the attitude day in and day out," Mills said. "It's the attitude of knowing, having this feeling that we have right now and taking it into this week's practice and not thinking ahead. Not thinking two weeks from now, three weeks from now. It's one day at a time, one practice at a time, one week at a time."
Featured Image via Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
