Bill Belichick addresses latest Patriots QB controversy questions
Nov 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick walks on the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots seemed to make it clear on Monday night that they have a full-blown quarterback controversy on their hands, but good luck getting Bill Belichick to admit that.
Mac Jones started for the Patriots in their embarrassing 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. New England went 3-and-out on their first two possessions before Jones threw an interception on the third. He was then replaced by Bailey Zappe, which greatly pleased Patriots fans who had been chanting the rookie’s name while Jones was on the field.
The Patriots were trailing 10-0 at the time Zappe came on. Zappe led two quick touchdown drives to put them up 14-10, but things went downhill from there. The former Western Kentucky star finished the game with two interceptions.
Belichick was asked on Tuesday morning if Jones was benched for performance or health reasons. You can probably guess how that went.
Reporter: Bill, was Mac Jones healthy enough to play the whole game?
Belichick: "Well, that didn't happen. So, that's another hypothetical question."
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 25, 2022
A report leading up to the game said Belichick planned to play both Jones and Zappe. That really put Jones in a no-win situation. The Patriots were coming off back-to-back blowout wins with Zappe as their starter. Fans at Gillette Stadium turned on Jones almost immediately when New England’s offense sputtered out of the gate.
Jones had a classy response to what was a difficult situation. No one really knows what Belichick will do for next Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, who have a 5-2 record and are one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season. If Jones is fully recovered from his ankle injury and does not play, that may be a hint that his tenure in New England is going to be very short.
