Hall-of-Fame QB: Patriots Should Go Back to Mac Jones
Bailey Zappe impressed. But now, according to a former two-time NFL MVP who knows a thing or two about a quarterback controversy, it's time for him to rest.
In 1999, Kurt Warner was the unproven, afterthought backup quarterback to Trent Green for the St. Louis Rams. After Green suffered a torn ACL in the preseason, No. 2 became No. 1 and ... the rest is Hall-of-Fame history. Warner never relinquished the job, going on to win two MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP in XXXIV.
From his perspective, however, that scenario is not on the verge of repeating itself with the New England Patriots.
Though rookie Bailey Zappe filled for starter Mac Jones by leading the Pats to two consecutive victories while putting up impressive statistics, Warner said he sees no reason to permanently shuffle New England's deck.
"I haven't seen anything from Mac Jones or anything from Bailey that I say, 'Oh my gosh, you've got to go with Bailey because he does this better than Mac'," Warner said this week. "So I would be hard-pressed to think that they're not going to go back to Mac."
Not that Zappe hasn't been steady, and at times spectacular.
He became the first rookie to throw a touchdown in his first game in the history of Green Bay's Lambeau Field. The Pats won his two starts - albeit against the NFL's two worst defense (Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns) - by a combined 67-15. In last week's victory over the Browns he threw for 300+ yards and two touchdowns without a turnover (something Jones has only done twice in 20 NFL starts). And each of his QB ratings have bettered anything mustered by Jones in his three games this season.
However ...
Jones went to the Pro Bowl last season. He'll be "available" Monday night against the Chicago Bears after missing three games. And he took the snaps with the first-team offense in Thursday's practice in Foxboro.
Even if Patriots fans aren't ready for "Zappe Hour" to be over, the consensus is that Jones raises New England's potential in 2022 to a level the rookie can't yet reach.
"I think the bottom line is Mac was really good last year when they had a good defense and they ran the football really well and they went on a run," said Warner, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. "That's what they're doing right now with Bailey. And I think the bottom line really comes down to, which of these two guys do you think is better? Which of these guys do you believe can be your long-term answer?"
It ain't broke, but the Patriots seem intent on fixing it.
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