Four games into his NFL career, Gabe Jacas has already stacked up the kind of moments that get a fan base buzzing. The Patriots rookie has 1.5 sacks, 10 total quarterback pressures and an interception on his résumé, and his tape keeps adding splash plays. Last week against the Buffalo Bills, that meant running over Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins to help force a near-safety.
Still, Jacas isn’t letting any of it pull him off course.
At his Gillette Stadium locker on Wednesday, he made it clear he’s not interested in living off what happened last Sunday.
“I feel like a lot of people always like to go back and talk about something I did last week. The main thing for me is just focus on this week ahead,” he said.
“No one cares what you did last week. This league will sting upon you if you get comfortable and complacent.
That’s not something I want to be, complacent or comfortable. I just want to continue to get better and improve.”
That mindset has been a through line for Jacas since the Patriots took him 55th overall out of Illinois this spring. His start was slow.
He was seen only once publicly during the offseason, watching rookie minicamp from the sideline while working back from hamstring and knee issues. His contract also took time to get done, and by the time he finally signed - on a deal with multiple protections for the team - training camp was already underway.
Even once he got on the field, the early returns weren’t exactly eye-opening. His preseason film was shaky, the kind of rough introduction that made it easy to picture a limited role right away.
Instead, Jacas has flipped the script. The 22-year-old said none of that rattled him.
“I always have confidence,” he said. “It’s not just that one play. I’ve always had confidence even coming into this league.”
That confidence has started to show up where it matters most. Jacas, along with second-year edge Elijah Ponder, has become an important part of New England’s defensive production while both projected starting edges, Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones, have missed time with injuries.
The big plays are there. The production is real. But Jacas keeps coming back to the same point: the job is to keep climbing, not celebrate the last jump.
“I just continue to improve and that’s what I’m trying to do each week - just improving;” he said. “Not really worried about plays here and there, just improving and try to continue to do what I can to win games for this team.”
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Patriots Safeties Are Heating Up Before Their Biggest Test Yet
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The next test comes against the Raiders, and it is the sort of matchup that can expose any hesitation in the middle of the field. Byard and Woodson pointed to Las Vegas tight ends as a clear challenge, which makes the timing of their progress especially important as the Patriots try to build on a recent win and carry that confidence into a tougher assignment. [Read more 🡒]