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Did Patriots Do Enough In Offseason at Backup QB?

With the unthinkable befalling Mac Jones, the New England Patriots' quarterback depth - and front office's vision - faces a vital test in the coming weeks.

Master Yoda once said, "Always in motion, the future is." In the NFL, that motion is faster than any form of light speed the Millennium Falcon could conjure. 

The New England Patriots found that out the hard way on Sunday afternoon, losing far more than just a 37-26 decision to the Baltimore Ravens. Franchise quarterback Mac Jones, the first long-term passing option in the post-Tom Brady era, is out for the team's immediate hereafter, diagnosed with a "pretty severe" high ankle sprain, one poised to keep him out of the meat of the Patriots' schedule: three of their next four games (Green Bay, Cleveland, Chicago) come against teams with winning records and the exception (Detroit) has been no slouch in the early going. 

A lot has gone right for New England football since the turn of the century, and it's been particularly blessed when it comes to quarterback health. If the ankle injury keeps Jones out of multiple games, it'll mark the first time a Patriots quarterback has done so due to medical reasons since Brady's 2008 torn ACL that gave way to Matt Cassel's 11-win campaign. 

The Patriots (1-2) have two current options to keep their playoff hopes alive: Brian Hoyer, who has spent as much time at Gillette Stadium as some of its season ticket holders through eight seasons in three separate tenures. His Patriots compatriot Bailey Zappe hardly knows a world without Brady: the 23-year-old rookie was born less than a year before the current Tampa Bay Buccaneer became the most famous 199th overall pick in the history of professional sports. 

Some could argue that time is already running out on the Patriots' season, one where they have to deal with one of the NFL's lingering perfect squads three weeks in (Miami, who laid down a 20-7 shellacking just over two weeks ago). But what New England accomplishes over the next few weeks could end up defining the franchise for years to come.

The Patriots' decision to play it safe behind Jones will be brought into the spotlight.

New England quarterback injuries have, after all, defined the course of NFL history: Drew Bledsoe's medical departure in 2001 brought about the rise of Brady, whose own injury during kickoff weekend seven years later perhaps provided teams the blueprint to survive when the starter is lost. 

The current Patriots probably don't have the makings of a Super Bowl champion but personal fortunes and forecasts could be on the line over the next few weeks.

In today's era of social media, instant reactions, and soapboxes capable of reaching around the globe, a backup quarterback completing a 10-yard out leads to calls for his promotion, both facetious and legitimate. And, if we're being frank, Jones has done little to endear himself to fans and observers' long-term Foxboro preferences. Not to bring up Brady again, but his unintentional coup showed that the Patriots don't consider any quarterback situation untouchable: at the time of Brady's rise, Bledsoe was hardy into the first year of a then-record $103 million contract that seems minuscule by today's standards. 

In other words, Jones, he of a 76.2 passer rating - second-worst amongst current starters - might be in a position where he'll have to fight for his job when (or if?) he reassumes the Patriots' starting duties. 

The new decade of Patriots football is complicated to judge, especially considering that no team in the history of the game might've had a more lucrative non-stop stretch than New England in the prior 20. Further complicating the cause is the fact that those involved are more or less impossible (Robert Kraft) or deliriously awkward (Bill Belichick) to remove.  

Anywhere else, that group might be treading on dangerous ground, especially after egregious draft misses (N'Keal Harry before Deebo Samuel) and questionable free agent signings ... or lack thereof (mostly keeping the same roster from a year that ended in chilly fashion, literally and figuratively). But they've more or less earned the right to write their own ticket until they've decided they, or at the very least Kraft, has had enough. 

That makes the coming quarterback battle not exactly a dealbreaker, especially when it comes to Belichick's post-Brady future, but rather a high-profile straw that could break the back of his solo legacy. 

There was a prime opportunity for New England and its passing brethren to bolster the backup role, especially in a year where only five quarterbacks started all 17 games. To that end, the Patriots mostly opted to play it safe: Hoyer is quite familiar with whatever Belichick and Matt Patricia want to run, his potential as a franchise man has long left him (set to turn 37 in October), and he's proven reliable enough in case of emergency. As for Zappe, he was chosen in the fourth round, in a spot and from a school (Western Kentucky) well enough to be assured an opening day roster spot but not prestigious enough to have fans calling for him every Jones incompletion. 

The safe options sent assured messages that Jones was their man, and it was particularly bold considering that certain options could've raised the heat upon him. Mobile competition lingered in Marcus Mariota. New England draftee Jacoby Brissett opted to salvage the Cleveland Browns' post-Deshaun Watson affairs. 

Yet, the Patriots offered to make their bed with Jones and the safe options behind him. As it stands, that leaves them three options and scenarios ...

  • Jones will undoubtedly get a chance to protect his job, no matter how well Hoyer and/or Zappe play, especially if New England falls further out of the playoff picture. 
  • If Jones is out longer than anticipated, it's likely they pass on the primary duties ... at least this season and as long as they believe they're in contention ... to Hoyer, primarily thanks to his seniority and what lingering knowledge he has of the New England offense. 
  • Zappe could ... and, frankly, should ... get an opportunity if only so the Patriots know what their future under center looks like, if only so they know exactly where they stand with all parties in the most important position in sports. If Zappe doesn't have it, Jones gets another year. If he does, a competition or a trade could be staged.

Belichick has remained characteristically mum about who will take over for Jones starting with Sunday's visit to Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). Some view the Patriots' season as doomed, perhaps even over, as they already linger in a multi-game hole before September ends. 

But, for the perception of the post-Brady era, another quarterback emergence could mean everything.


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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags