Patriots QB Jones hurts back, adding injury to team's rough day

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mac Jones moved quickly down the hall outside the New England locker room a few minutes after Sunday’s game ended, still wearing half his uniform, flanked by security personnel.

His destination: The X-ray room.

And just like that, a bad day might have gotten much worse for the Patriots.

Jones hurt his back in Sunday’s 20-7 season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins, a game he played start to finish, completing 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also was sacked twice, one of those getting scooped up for a Miami score.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked after the game if Jones was hurt.

“I haven’t been in the training room,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

Not long afterward, the Patriots announced Jones would not be available for his postgame news conference because of a back injury. No other details were offered. Belichick is scheduled to speak with reporters again Monday, when the subject will inevitably be raised.

It was a worrisome capper to a frustrating day for the Patriots. The seven points represented the second-fewest they’ve managed in 23 openers under Belichick and a 17-point deficit — it was 17-0 at the half — was the second-largest in Belichick-era openers.

Above all else, there’s this: For the second consecutive year, the Patriots are 0-1. Back-to-back instances of that hadn’t happened in New England since 2000 and 2001, Belichick’s first two seasons, though it should be noted the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl in that 2001 season.

“Look, Super Bowl is not decided today, right?” Patriots center David Andrews said. “We’ve got 17 — 16 more games now. So, look, how many years you come out here and see a team go 8-0, 6-0, and then