The New England Patriots walked off the field following their Week 10 loss with uncertainty on whether to start quarterback Bailey Zappe or Mac Jones moving forward. With Week 12 closing in, it appears Bill Belichick isn’t any closer to revealing his starter.
Jones, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, is currently experiencing one of the roughest stretches in a challenging career. In his last seven games, the third-year quarterback has thrown 8 interceptions with a 75.4 QB rating, with a 1-6 record.
- Mac Jones stats (2022-’23): 82.8 QB rating, 65.3% completion rate, 24-21 TD-INT, 209.5 passing yards per game, 55 sacks taken in 23 games
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New England has pulled Jones off the field in multiple games, often when already getting blown out, replacing him with Zappe. However, each time, Zappe also struggles and the Patriots put Jones back under center the following week.
- Bailey Zappe stats (2022-’23): 87.0 QB rating, 64.1% completion rate, 5-4 TD-INT, 126.4 passing yards per game, 7 sacks taken in seven games
After repeatedly committing to Jones publicly as the team’s starting quarterback in previous weeks, Belichick has backed off that level of support for the former first-round pick. Instead, the Patriots’ head coach isn’t telling anyone who will start in Week 12.
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“I’ve told all the players the same thing: Be ready to go. Hopefully they will be…We’ll let you know on Sunday.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the starting quarterback for Sunday
It’s not surprising to see Belichick taking this approach. Not only do many teams view not revealing a starter as some sort of strategic advantage, but Belichick is also playing up to his reputation as being coy with the media. However, there are some signs regarding who could be starting in Week 12.
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Who will be the New England Patriots starting QB in Week 12?
Meeting with reporters this week, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was also coy about the looming quarterback decision. However, he did offer some support for Jones.
“I think that’s what we have to remember: at times this year, Mac has played really well, I think that’s what we have to remember. At times this year, Mac has played really well. I also think that it’s really important to point out that there’s ten other guys on the field and everybody’s got to play better.”
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien on the quarterback situation
Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal also pointed to things O’Brien has said in his press conferences and his comments this season to suggest that O’Brien might stick with Jones as the starter in Week 12.
One important element of this, per Giardi, is the fact that Jones continues to work tirelessly in practice and commit himself to a level of film study that makes him the most well-prepared Patriots quarterback on the roster. While that hasn’t generated results, Zappe hasn’t shown anything in training camp or on the practice field to necessarily earn the starting job.
Ultimately, Jones seems to be the likeliest Patriots quarterback to start in Week 12 against the New York Giants. If he struggles again, with decision-making and turnovers dooming the Patriots’ offense, then Zappe could take over in December.