The Patriots are persevering with to take a secretive method to their backup quarterback scenario.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was requested Monday morning on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” whether or not undrafted rookie quarterback/vast receiver Malik Cunningham would proceed to again up beginning QB Mac Jones in Week 7 in opposition to the Bills.
“Yeah, we’ll deal with next week next week,” Bill Belichick stated. “Just finished the game here. Make our decisions on next week at another point in time, not right this minute.”
Cunningham, who was signed off of the apply squad Saturday, was the one different quarterback on the crew’s gameday roster Sunday. Bailey Zappe was inactive because the crew’s emergency third QB and Will Grier was inactive. Zappe may have solely entered Sunday’s recreation if Jones and Cunningham suffered accidents.
Cunningham lined up at vast receiver, not quarterback, throughout pregame warmups. He stated after the sport that he loosened up his arm within the halls of Allegiant Stadium, not on the sphere, as a result of the crew needed to maintain it as “low-key as possible.”
Belichick was requested on a video convention name whether or not Cunningham, who performed quarterback, vast receiver and particular groups in apply final week, would obtain extra quarterback reps in anticipation for Week 7.
“We just got through the game here,” Belichick stated. “Talk about next week’s game plan and all that, it’s not even close to that.”
Cunningham performed six snaps, three at quarterback and three at vast receiver, in Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Raiders. He was sacked on his solely passing try when the Patriots ran an choice move.
“Malik’s improved a lot during the course of the year, both at receiver and in the kicking game and some of the snaps that he’s taken at quarterback,” Belichick stated. “We didn’t really get too much of a chance to see him (Sunday). It was a tough situation. They made a good call and hit us on a perimeter blitz there (on his sack). But he’s been good to work with, he’s made a lot of improvement, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Belichick appeared to indicate that the choice to signal Cunningham to the 53-man roster and make him the Patriots’ backup was tied to accidents.
“We had a lot of guys that were hurt,” Belichick stated after the sport.
Two Patriots vast receivers had been out with concussions.
It is, after all, vital to know who the Patriots’ backup quarterback might be due to Jones’ struggles this season. Jones performed higher on Sunday and wasn’t benched mid-game for the primary time since Week 3. But he nonetheless went simply 24-of-33 for 200 yards with an interception and one other near-pick. The recreation ended with Jones taking a last-minute security on third-and-15 from the Patriots’ personal 4-yard line.
If the rating had gotten out of hand in Sunday’s recreation — because it did when Jones was pulled in Weeks 4 and 5 for Zapppe — or if Jones had been benched for efficiency, then Cunningham would have needed to enter the sport at quarterback.
And if Jones’ struggles proceed deep into the season, then it could be value giving one other quarterback an opportunity. Zappe struggled a lot this summer time that he was waived out of coaching camp. He hasn’t performed properly in mop-up obligation. Grier joined the crew previous to Week 3 and doesn’t know the offense in addition to Zappe. Cunningham, primarily based on Week 7, would seemingly be the highest choice.
Belichick was requested if the Patriots would use Cunningham as a quarterback or proceed to maneuver him round to completely different positions sooner or later.
“Yeah, we’ll continue to evaluate that going forward,” Belichick stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com