Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Bill Belichick: ‘Clue’ or Controversy For Patriots QBs
FOXBORO — With Halloween fast approaching, the New England Patriots are mixing a bit of mystery into their 2022 season.
During the time of year in which cryptic cliffhangers rule, the Patriots provided the ultimate puzzle in the form of adding layers of confusion to their current quarterback situation.
After weeks of speculation regarding his return, Patriots team captain Mac Jones was given the proverbial ‘green light’ to start under center for the team’s eventual 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Gillette Stadium.
Unfortunately, the results were almost as disturbing as the latest offering from a certain horror movie franchise, which has arguably stayed too long at the dance.
As Jones was chased from New England’s Week 7 loss early in the second quarter, to a chorus of boos from the hometown crowd in Foxboro, he was relieved by rookie Bailey Zappe. The Western Kentucky product immediately seemed to validate the chants of his name by leading the Pats on consecutive scoring drives and a 14-10 lead.
However, Zappe’s success was only short-lived. After a brief spike of ‘Zappe Fever,’ 18 incompletions, two interceptions and one lost fumble brought the temperature of Patriots Nation down to a tepid, low-grade normal.
While switching quarterbacks within a game is seldom an ideal situation, Pats coach Bill Belichick has since revealed that playing both Jones and Zappe on Monday night was a “part of the plan, all along.” In what felt more like Tuesday-morning damage control, Belichick’s reasoning created more questions than it did answers.
As such, the question on everyone’s mind is “Why so much confusion?”
In short, Pats fans are searching for a ‘clue.’ (pun intended).
That’s right, Pats fans … it’s that time again.
In honor of Halloween, let’s take a look at a trio of scenarios, in the mode of the iconic (yes, I said ‘iconic’) 1985 movie, Clue®. While the movie’s theatrical release included three possible endings (with different theaters receiving only one of the three), the film’s home-video release included ALL three endings. Today’s examination will follow the home-video format.
For this satirical example, only three plausible explanations are identified; all of which could be the true ending to this ‘mystery.’ Of course, the real ‘trick’ here is that the Patriots may have had entirely different reasons, which may or may not be revealed in the coming days.
Without further ado, here are some possible answers to the greatest mystery in New England sports at the moment.
Was it really Coach Belichick…in the coach’s room…with a medical report?
Let’s take a look.
This is how it could have happened …
Jones had not played a regular-season snap since suffering a high ankle sprain in the closing moments of the Pats Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. After demonstrating notable progress in his recovery efforts during team practices throughout the week, Jones’ physical capacity was determined to be at “85-90 percent;,” apparently enough for Belichick to sign-off on Jones’ return.
Despite getting the starting nod, Jones’ stat line is unlikely to be one which he fondly remembers. The 24-year-old finished the night going 3 of 6 for 13 yards and one interception. He often struggled to find his receivers downfield and forced several passes; including his final pass of the night (intended for tight end Jonnu Smith), which was acrobatically intercepted with one hand by Bears defensive back Jaquan Brisker. Shortly thereafter, Jones was headed to the bench, as Zappe jogged onto the field.
If Belichick’s theory of a quarterback rotation is to be believed, he would have placed Jones on a predetermined snap count prior to kickoff. Therefore, his pulling New England’s former first-round pick after only 18 offensive plays would be explained by a simple “it was time to make the switch,” regardless of his physical condition.
After all, If he’s healthy enough to suit up, he’s good to go, right?
Not so fast.
During his postgame meeting with the media, Belichick confirmed that Jones’ health was a factor in deciding to employ a positional platoon between him and Zappe. Playing competitive football for the first time in over three weeks, on a wet turf, could provide an environment by which Jones could do further harm to a less-than fully healed ankle. Also, having returned on the shallow end of a typical 4-6 week recovery period may have meant that Jones was at even greater risk of re-injury.
Therefore, might Jones have been feeling ill effects from the damp weather conditions in Foxboro … and that is what led to his exit from the game?
The answer may not be sexy, but it has teeth … Jones was pulled to preserve his health.
Well, how about this?
Though few would argue that attempting to keep your incumbent starting quarterback as healthy as possible is a plausible reason to remove him from a game, it does not quite fit the evidence in this scenario.
For starters Jones was spotted moving with greater agility at practice in the days leading up to the Pats game against the Bears. Despite his early struggles against the Bears, Jones exhibited few, if any, physical limitations during his brief time on the field. As such, his ankle seemed to be holding up relatively well under the circumstances.
Then, there was the timing of his departure.
Jones was unceremoniously relieved of his duties in the immediate aftermath of being intercepted by Brisker. While the Pats defense was attempting to prevent Chicago from capitalizing on the miscue, Jones was allegedly observed telling a teammate “I’m out,” prior to Zappe’s entrance.
“I’m out!” … not, “I’m hurting,” or “I can’t.”
Jones was out of the game, and it didn’t appear to be his choice.
In the moments leading to the quarterback exchange, the fans at Gillette Stadium were chanting ‘Zappe,’ both in support of the rookie, and to voice their displeasure with Jones’ performance. The fan base clearly believed the team would be in better hands with Zappe under center. The Western Kentucky product had achieved fan-favorite status by leading the Pats to a 2-1 record in his two-plus games as the leader of the Pats offense. He displayed uncanny poise, competitive spirit and sound decision-making. Coincidentally, these were all attributes with which Jones has struggled for the majority of his season.
In addition, Jones’ clash with New England’s coaching staff regarding his preferred method of recovery from his injury, as well as a concerning swelling of ego, were reported earlier in the week.
Alas, Belichick became caught up in a moment of Zappe Fever, acquiescing to the request of the Foxboro Faithful. He realized that the Pats’ fourth-round rookie selection may be a better fit for their offense, both in attitude and skill set.
With Jones’ performance paling in comparison to his counterpart, the ‘HC of the NEP’ made the swap, hoping to install Zappe as the starter for the remainder of the season.
But here’s how it really happened (maybe?) ...
Though animosity and ulterior motives may create a more intriguing narrative, the truth is almost always based in simplicity and logic.
First, Jones was not relieved of his duty in order to coronate Zappe as the permanent leader of the Pats offense. Belichick, himself, debunked this claim when revealing that his plan called for Jones to return to the game at some point on Monday. However, the one-sided score derailed any such intention.
“He would have gone back in,” Belichick tersely said postgame. “The score got out of hand. I didn't think that was the right thing to do.”
Belichick also made it clear that Jones’ benching was not punitive in nature.
“That’s not what it was … you can write whatever you want to write,” he said. “That’s not what it was.”
Shortly after Belichick provided his explanation, Jones corroborated his head coach’s account, advising that he too was aware of the Pats’ plan at the position.
“Just part of the plan,” Jones said. “I think Coach [Belichick] obviously did a really good job explaining it to me. I knew what the plan was … the timing is the timing, but we were on the same page. There’s no hard feelings or anything.”
Apparently, cultivating a narrative of friction between coaching staff and quarterback was just a “red herring.”
Alas, the truth likely lies within the most lucid of all reasons presented thus far; a theory shared during the most recent episode of FanDuel’s ‘Up and Adams.”
Despite being less than 100-percent physically ready, Jones successfully lobbied his head coach to start their Week 7 matchup with the Bears. Belichick, being cautious with regard to Jones’ health, as well as the team’s chances of winning, believed that a rotation of he and Zappe would provide the best outcome. However, Jones' early struggles, combined with the Bears dominating the game on both sides of the ball, essentially made the decision for him. The Patriots would concede their poor performance, while giving Jones the chance to rest and avoid reaggravating his ankle. Zappe had proven himself capable of carrying the load at a pro level. Therefore, the team would stick with him for the remainder of the game.
Belichick seemingly confirmed this theory when asked a similar question by the media on Monday morning.
“There's a lot of things that went into that,” Belichick said of his decision to remove Jones. “So I don't really have the time to get into it here. It's more complicated than [just one thing]. But I'll just leave it as we did what we felt was best for the team and the players involved. Obviously, it didn't work out. But that was the decision.”
Epilogue
While the adventures of Jones and Zappe may not have been quite as mysterious as some would lead you to believe, the Patriots have not yet shed themselves of controversy. As the team talked the practice field to prepare for their Week 8 matchup with the 5-2 New York Jets, all eyes will be on the quarterback position.
There are valid arguments both for and against Zappe and Jones. Conventional wisdom would argue that Jones would have the upper hand, considering his place as the incumbent starter, as well as the struggles of both quarterbacks in Week 7. Simply put, there is no clear-cut leader in the clubhouse.
However, in true Belichickian fashion, the Pats head coach is going to keep everyone guessing until the last possible moment.
“That's a hypothetical question,” Belichick said when asked if Jones would be the starter in Week 8, if healthy. “So let's see where that is and what that is."
Will Belichick choose ‘Zappe Fever’ or ‘Mac the Knife’ as his next weapon?
Let’s just say, he will take it ‘day by day.’
(Cue the closing credits, accompanied by ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ by Bill Haley and the Comets)
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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