FOXBORO — The Patriots’ offense is in a state of disrepair and there at present doesn’t appear to be a solution to the unit’s largest drawback.
For two straight weeks now, Mac Jones has been benched for backup quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Head coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t put all the blame on Jones after the crew’s newest loss, a 34-0 shutout by the hands of the Saints, indicating that Jones would proceed to be the crew’s starter after the sport.
“Yeah, there were a lot of problems,” Belichick mentioned. “It certainly wasn’t all on him.”
But Jones has now turned the ball over 5 occasions within the final two weeks. Three of these turnovers have been returned for defensive scores, together with a pick-six from Saints security Tyrann Mathieu on Sunday when Jones made a desperation toss as he was being pushed to the turf that landed within the defender’s arms.
Nearly as huge of a problem, Zappe, who acquired a loud ovation from an exasperated Gillette Stadium crowd when inserted into the sport on Sunday afternoon, isn’t offering a activate the bench after Jones has been pulled.
Zappe went 3-of-9 for 22 yards with some unhealthy overthrows in Sunday’s loss. He was 4-of-9 for 57 yards in final Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
For the second straight week, Belichick mentioned Jones was pulled due to the lopsided rating.
“It could be a timing thing,” Zappe mentioned about his misfires. “It’s as much as me now to get with these guys and get further reps. Like discovering (huge receiver Kendrick Bourne) on the cross, determining the way in which he likes to run it. I may do a greater job of getting the ball on the market and letting him catch it and run with it after.
“That’s all my fault. I’ve got to get better. I’ve got to make the throw. Maybe that comes to just getting with those guys after practice or before practice.”
It was reported by NFL Media that Zappe noticed extra first-team reps in follow final week. Zappe would neither affirm nor deny.
“Last week’s last week,” he mentioned. “Moving on to this week. We’ll see how this week goes.”
Zappe mentioned, “you know as good as I do” when requested if he anticipated to see extra reps this week and that “we’ll find out Wednesday.”
It was attention-grabbing that Bourne talked about each QBs when requested about his confidence degree in Jones after he was pulled in two straight video games.
“We believe in Bailey and Mac,” Bourne mentioned. “The scoreboard, I think that’s why it happened again. But we believe in both of them. Zappe seemed ready. He came in here throwing the ball and giving his best effort. Kudos to him. Everybody gotta be ready, but we believe in everyone.”
Right now, neither quarterback is exhibiting many causes for optimism. And let’s not overlook that the Patriots have been so unimpressed with Zappe this summer season that they waived him and made him out there to all different 31 groups after coaching camp and the preseason. What’s the message to the crew if Belichick decides {that a} participant he lower six weeks in the past is now higher than the crew’s Week 1 starter?
The Patriots even have Will Grier on their roster as a 3rd quarterback. Neither Belichick nor Grier appeared to point that the ex-Cowboys QB was near pushing Jones or Zappe for work when requested concerning the depth chart his week.
Zappe wouldn’t speculate on whether or not he can be getting any begins down the street.
“That’s up to coaches to figure out,” Zappe mentioned. “I’m worried about my job and that’s to make throws. I missed two today that could have been really big plays. I’m going to try to get with those guys and get everything down timing-wise.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com