Dave Ungrady

Special for USA TODAY Sports

During a recent interview New England Revolution forward Charlie Davies mentioned that Oct. 13 marked the five-year anniversary of a potentially career-ending automobile accident.

Since returning to competition in late 2010, Davies had been mostly a substitute. But since July 30, Davies has started 11 of 12 games for the red-hot Revolution. His resurgence and the team's success closely parallel the emergence of Jermaine Jones as the team's marquee player.

"I had been hearing it was possible, but I never thought that we could get a player with the quality of Jones," Davies said. "When we did, I thought, wow, that's MLS Cup potential."

The Revolution have lost just twice since Davies became a regular starter, and once since Jones made his first appearance for the team on Aug. 30. They sit tied for second in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, and if they win their last two games, the Revolution will tie a record for most wins in a season at 17. They have not played in MLS Cup since 2007.

Jones joined New England as its fourth designated player for a reported salary of $4.5 million over a year and a half. Before the World Cup, U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann encouraged him to consider MLS. "He said, 'Why not, the league is growing,' " Jones said.

After playing well at the World Cup — he started all four games, recording a goal and an assist — Jones pursued a move to MLS, persuaded in part after seeing large crowds support the Americans in Brazil. New England and Chicago made him the same offer before MLS picked his new team. "I was happy to sit back and let the league make the decision," he said.

Jones met Davies in 2010 on a beach in Miami, while Davies and U.S. national team player Alejandro Bedoya were on vacation with their wives. Jones and Davies became quick friends.

Last July the two saw each other in Los Angeles when the Revolution played the Galaxy. Jones peppered Davies with questions. "He asked me about playing on turf, if it makes you sore, and about the Revs players and life in Boston," Davies said. "I told him you're the guy we're missing to reach our full potential. It was my job to make sure he was coming here."

In early August, Revolution owner Jonathan Kraft told the New England Soccer Journal that the team would spend millions on a designated player from outside its system only if the player "moves the needle for the league in a major way."

Jones has not only moved the needle, he's shaken the meter. He satisfies the Revolution's needs for a physical presence who could add depth at midfield. Coach Jay Heaps considers Jones a critical component of his triangle-shaped central midfield, placing him deep in a defensive role in front of the back defenders or playing higher as an attacker who creates chances for other players, or one who is a box-to-box midfielder.

"Jermaine's play has raised everyone else's level," Heaps said. "He's taken pressure off some of our guys. They play looser and show more freedom. Players respond to him."

Davies claims the attention Jones draws on the field has made his job easier. Defenders play higher to close Jones down, opening up spaces for Davies and other strikers.

"I have to be more alert that he will serve me balls in more spaces at the right time," said Davies, who scored off a Jones assist in a 2-1 win over Chicago on Sept. 7.

Jones, who will turn 33 on Nov. 3, has scored twice and has three assists for the Revolution. He played for 14 pro seasons in Europe, mostly with Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Schalke in the German Bundesliga. His experience has inspired play among his New England teammates.

"The aggression in practice has been so much higher," Davies said. "Everyone tries to have cleaner touches. The speed of play is faster. There's more communication."

"He's pretty charismatic," Heaps said. "Players respond to him. Before he came on, we were starting to right the ship. Jermaine has lifted our sails on a path to where we should be playing."