In his 10th season in the NFL, his first in New England, cornerback Jason McCourty is headed to the playoffs for the first time. McCourty was an impact player in the Patriots' division-clinching win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
FOXBORO – At long last, Jason’s horror story is over.
“Hat and T-shirt. First one. I’m excited about that,” Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty said following Sunday’s 24-12 win over the Buffalo Bills. “Obviously, (special teams captain Matthew) Slater said it to us after the game, there’s a lot more to our story, but you don’t take any moment for granted. It took me 10 years to be in this position.
“You won your division. You put a (commemorative) hat and T-shirt on. Even better to do it alongside my brother and the guys in this locker room. So (I’m) excited about what we were able to accomplish.”
It’s an accomplishment McCourty hadn’t achieved over the nine NFL seasons that preceded this one, his first eight in the league with Tennessee followed by the lowest of lows, an 0-16 campaign in Cleveland last year.
An AFC East Division championship that brought with it his first playoff berth realized, the occasion was appreciated by McCourty’s family and friends.
“I’m ecstatic, man,” veteran safety (and twin brother) Devin McCourty, a division champion in each and every one of his NFL seasons dating to 2010 with the Patriots, said. “We’ve been telling him for three weeks now that we’re going to try to get him a hat and T-shirt. So I was happy it came through and he played great (Sunday) – interception, forced fumble down by the end zone – really two key plays that helped us win the game, so he’s been just a consummate pro all year. Leading the rookies between J.C. (Jackson) and Keion (Crossen) and Duke (Dawson Jr.) and helping those guys out, being a leader on the field defensively when it comes to communication.
“Everyone can feel his career, what he’s been through, what he’s learned, he kind of pours that out on us daily. It’s been a pleasure having him in the locker room.”
“When you see guys like Jason, (one who) busted his tail for 10 years in the NFL and this is the first one,” center David Andrews said, “you realize how fortunate to be a part of this organization.”
It’s one McCourty is obviously happy to be a part of, having joined it on March 15 of this year in a trade that saw the Browns also send the Patriots a seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-round choice.
“For me, it’s been fun,” said McCourty. “Obviously, for me (it’s been) an opportunity to play alongside my brother, made some really good friends in this locker room, and I think each year is a different journey and no matter where that journey takes you, whether it’s a winning record or a losing record, you try to enjoy the process as much as possible. So I’ve definitely been doing that to the umpteenth degree this year.”
After struggling in training camp to the point where his spot on the 53-man roster didn’t appear to be a sure thing, McCourty assumed a starting role across from Stephon Gilmore in Week 3 and got the nod in 12 straight games until Sunday when Jackson, the impressive-looking rookie, got the nod against the Bills.
Still, participating in 33 of his team’s 61 defensive snaps, McCourty made the most of his opportunities and made a major impact on the game in registering three tackles, two passes defensed, forcing Bills tight end Jason Croom to fumble the ball away at the 6-yard-line with the Bills driving for a touchdown in the third quarter (defensive tackle Malcom Brown recovered) and intercepting a Josh Allen pass at the Patriots 39 to lock up the win in the fourth.
“I blew that play,” a candid McCourty admitted, explaining that he “and (safety Patrick) Chung had a little bit of a combo thing, I was supposed to come off (and cover) that tight end so when he caught the ball it was kind of an ‘oh …’ moment and you turn around and you start chasing and I was able to just rip the ball loose at the end. So a big turnover in the red zone being able to get the ball back to our offense.”
Of the interception, a classic toe-tapping effort to secure the catch inbounds, McCourty said: “The old man can still do a little bit of something. Dev said he was shocked I caught it. Just happy to be able to make a play for our defense in a crucial point in the game.”
And so, over the course of a career that has now reached a decade in length, the wait is over: Twice denied by agonizing losses at Miami and Pittsburgh, in his 10th NFL season, Jason McCourty is playoff bound.
“Someone, I think Du (safety Duron Harmon) said it to me, like, ‘we’re going to get this one for you,’” said McCourty. “They know for me it’s been a long time coming, but I think you’ve just got to stay the course. Things don’t always work the way you want them to, but I think you’ve just got to continue to chop, keep your head down, continue to work, and the next thing you know you look up and you’re where you want to be.”