The New England Patriots are on a bye this week, which means Bill Belichick has extra time to decide on a starting quarterback for his team’s next game. It seems like he has already made a decision, however.
Belichick was asked on Tuesday if Mac Jones remains New England’s starting quarterback. The coach offered a telling response.
Question: Is Mac Jones still the team’s No. 1 quarterback?
Bill Belichick: “We have a lot of things to work on this week as a team. We’ll work through those. That is what we are going to do this week.”
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 14, 2023
“We have a lot of things to work on this week as a team. We’ll work through those. That is what we are going to do this week,” Belichick said.
It certainly is not unusual for Belichick to avoid a question. No coach in NFL history has utilized that approach more often than him. What stands out about his response on Tuesday is how different it was from what the 71-year-old said earlier this season following a game in which Jones was benched.
Jones was pulled late in New England’s 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Belichick said immediately after the game that Jones’ job was safe and that the blowout loss “certainly wasn’t all on (Jones).” Belichick reiterated that stance a few days later.
Belichick’s tone has clearly changed, which is not a shock. Jones was benched for the final drive of the Patriots’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Sunday. New England was only trailing by 4 at the time, but Jones had just thrown a brutal interception in the red zone. The former first-round pick was also lambasted by Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien earlier in the game (video here).
Bailey Zappe probably is not an upgrade over Jones, but it sounds like the Patriots have seen enough of Mac.
