Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was pressed further Monday morning on the playing time of cornerbacks J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders.

Belichick said Sunday that Jackson and Jones were not benched to start the game, but that’s certainly what it looked like from the outside. Cornerback Shaun Wade played the Patriots’ first two series’ then received just one snap for the rest of the game while Jackson and Jones sat. Jackson entered the game on the third defensive series while Jones stayed off of the field through the first quarter.

Neither player spoke to reporters after the game.

Related Articles

Patriots’ Bill Belichick answers whether he believes he’s coaching for his job

Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster takes blame for game-sealing INT in latest loss

Callahan: The Patriots lost to a tanking team, so what does that make them?

Mac Jones acknowledges difficulties with Patriots changing personnel

Bill Belichick addresses why Patriots rookie Kayshon Boutte was a healthy scratch

“Yeah, look, all those guys, we played all the corners yesterday,” Belichick said Monday morning. “There’s a certain way we played them, and it varies from game by game. J.C. and Jack weren’t available earlier in the year, so there’s been a variety of circumstances there. Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez] and Marcus [Jones] aren’t available now, so I think everybody is working through it. We need to coach better, play better and play more consistently.”

Belichick also said he wanted better consistency when asked an earlier question about how Jackson has acclimated back to the Patriots after being reacquired from the Chargers in a trade this season.

“Well, it’s been a transition,” Belichick said. “I think his off-field training and physical health and conditioning – conditional has definitely improved. So, he’s done a good job working at that. Just the consistency in the secondary from everybody is something we need to do a better job of.”

The Patriots allowed Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick out of UNC, to throw for 325 yards with a touchdown and interception in Sunday’s 20-17 loss.