Whether it was on a video name with reporters Tuesday morning, or his look on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Bill Belichick deked, dodged, and usually deflected any and all quarterback questions in wake of the “rotation” used throughout Monday evening’s loss to the Bears.
As was the case instantly following the sport, Belichick didn’t present many solutions. He simply instigated extra questions in regards to the quarterback scenario going ahead because the Patriots head coach as soon as once more wouldn’t say if Mac Jones was his starter for the subsequent recreation in opposition to the Jets, or if he was his starter in any respect.
He additionally didn’t give the nod to Bailey Zappe, who got here on in reduction in the course of the 33-14 loss to the Bears. So it primarily stays up within the air for the 3-4 soccer group who’s going to play quarterback throughout the important thing AFC East matchup with the Jets.
“We’ll do what we feel like is best for the football team,” was Belichick’s inventory reply.
Belichick as soon as once more acknowledged the plan wasn’t for Jones to play in simply three collection. That’s simply the way it turned out, as Jones obtained yanked in favor of Zappe after throwing an interception. Belichick averted saying he was benched.
“We were going to play both quarterbacks, and that’s what we did,” he mentioned.
If Jones was deemed wholesome, why didn’t Belichick simply play him the entire recreation?
“There’s a lot of things that went into that,” he mentioned, not wanting to enter the small print in the course of the video name. “It’s a lot more complicated than that. We’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.”
Belichick mentioned he thought Mac regarded “alright” shifting round, however nonetheless wouldn’t identify him the starter going ahead.
“That’s a hypothetical question,” Belichick answered. “We’ll see where that is and what that is.”
Belichick additionally relied on the “hypothetical” response when requested if Jones was wholesome sufficient to play your entire recreation.
Jones mentioned Friday he felt positive, and in addition mentioned the identical following the sport.
Belichick countered that may not have meant he was positive for 70 performs.
“I didn’t want to put him in that situation,” Belichick mentioned when it comes to placing him again within the recreation. “So that was my decision.”
Was Belichick in any respect anxious about Jones’ improvement and confidence, given how issues turned out with Jones having to hearken to Zappe chants all through, then taking a seat after simply three collection?
“No, I think Mac has plenty of confidence,” mentioned Belichick.
He additionally had no response to the followers persistently chanting for Zappe, whereas Jones was making an attempt to carry out.
“I really can’t control that,” mentioned Belichick. “I’m just trying to coach the football team. Obviously, I have a lot of work to do there, so I’m going to focus on that.”
Following the sport, a number of gamers claimed they have been unaware that the plan was for a quarterback rotation. Several have been stunned by seeing Jones get pulled early within the second quarter after simply three collection.
“I talked to the quarterbacks, I talked to the leaders of the team. Everybody knew what the plan was,” Belichick mentioned on WEEI. “I mean, not every single person, obviously. I wouldn’t talk to every person about another player’s role in the game. They all have their jobs to do. But there was no lack of communication.”
Belichick didn’t assume it was a scenario the place he was going to bounce between quarterbacks from week to week, or that there was essentially a contest between Jones and Zappe.
Jones wound up finishing simply three passes for 13 yards with a decide, whereas Zappe was 14 for 22 for 185 yards with a landing and two interceptions.
“We’ll evaluate the situation as we always do,” he mentioned. “We’ll see what the options are, and we’ll take the one that we feel like is best for the football team.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com