Benched 4 Times, New England Patriots Mac Jones: 'Wanna Be The QB!'
FOXBORO — As the New England Patriots emerged from the MetLife Stadium visitor’s tunnel to begin the second half of their eventual 10-7 loss in Week 12 to the New York Giants, quarterback Mac Jones strode to the Pats’ sidelines instead of taking his usual on-field spot with his teammates on offense.
After completing only 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards — along with two baffling and costly interceptions — New England’s third-year starter relinquished the ball to backup Bailey Zappe to start the third quarter. For nearly all who were watching, it appeared that he was yielding the reins of New England’s offense for the last time.
However, Jones did not sound like a man who was resolute to his allegedly well-deserved fate when speaking about his future with WEEI’s Jones and Mego with Arcand on Monday afternoon.
“That’s a result, and I’m going to focus on the process this week,” Jones replied when asked if he was still the Patriots starting quarterback. “I really wanna be the quarterback here. I've always wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL, and specifically for the Patriots."
Surprisingly, Jones’ sentiments seem to indicate a legitimate competition in the coming week. It would not be the first time both he and Zappe were surrounded by an enigmatic, yet ultimately futile narrative regarding the identity of the team’s top option at the position.
Throughout the previous week, both Jones and Zappe essentially split the team’s practice reps, with veteran Will Grier getting looks with the second and third units. However, Grier was taken out of contention when the Pats released him on Saturday afternoon. Scout team rookie Malik Cunningham was not chosen as a game day elevation, leaving Jones and Zappe as the only two quarterbacks on the active roster.
Though Patriots coach Bill Belichick eventually settled on Jones as his Week 12 starter against the Giants, the former Pats’ first rounder’s day was over by halftime, thanks largely in part to his two aforementioned interceptions. His first pick — a pass which should have been a throwaway — was a back-footed throw into triple coverage which was easily cut and caught by cornerback Deonte Banks. His second and final throw of the afternoon, came while facing pressure. Rather than take the impending sack, Jones lofted a weak floater into the waiting hands of linebacker Bobby Okereke. As Jones dejectedly headed to the locker room, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien informed him that Zappe would be taking over to start the second half.
New York Giants linebacker Jihad Ward (55) has a hold on New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) in the 1st half at MetLife Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Though there have been some signs of his ability to competently lead his team — including his orchestrating a textbook, game-winning drive against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 — Jones' inability to make sound decisions when most needed has caused an obvious regression from which he has been ill-suited to recover. His discomfort in the pocket has led to a foundering of both his confidence and his mechanics — as well as his being benched in four of New England’s games to date.
Still, it should be noted that Zappe’s performance on Sunday has not exactly given the Pats reason to anoint him as the starter for the remainder of the season. After leading the Patriots on an 11-play, 60-yard touchdown drive, capped by a seven-yard scoring run by Rhamondre Stevenson, his success would be short-lived. Zappe telegraphed a pass on an over route intended for receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, which was easily snagged by Giants safety Xavier McKinney. The Patriots third turnover of the day halted yet another promising drive. In addition to the interception, Zappe finished 9 of 14 for 54 yards.
For those being honest with the situation, Jones’ recent performance should justify his removal as New England’s starting quarterback. However, poor personnel management has seemingly led to the team’s notable reluctance to officially installing either Zappe, or a capable backup, as the top option at the position. As such, Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff may be preparing for another week-long “battle of the subpar quarterbacks” on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.
“We’re just going to keep working as hard as we can to fix it,”Belichick told reporters on Monday via videoconference. “We’ve lost a lot of close games. We’ve just got to play better in situational and executional football at critical situations in the game. It’s what we’re working on. We’ll keep working on it.
As for Jones, it has been a season he would undoubtedly rather forget. Still, he remains steadfast in his desire to work as hard as needed to continue living his dream.
"At the end of the day, it's my dream to play quarterback,” Jones said. “Right now, it's not looking as good as I wanted. I have to continue to work. That's all I know."
Jones’ perpetual pursuit of his dream will continue on Wednesday, when the Patriots return to practice in preparation for their Week 13 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Who will be New England’s starting quarterback?
Right now, it still appears to be anyone’s guess.
