Bill Belichick still undecided on who will be Patriots' quarterback in Week 12
FOXBORO -- Following Sunday's loss to the Colts in Germany, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that it was too soon for any decisions on Mac Jones' future as the team's starting quarterback. So maybe after a lengthy international flight back to New England, Belichick and his staff would have come to a conclusion ahead of the team's bye week.
That is not the case. When asked on Monday morning who would be the team's No. 1 quarterback when the Patriots return to action against the New York Giants in Week 12, Belichick again said those decisions would be made in the near future.
"We just got back from Germany here. We'll work through everything. We'll look at everything all the way across the board," Belichick said on his video conference call with reporters.
"We'll do what's best for the football team now and in the future," he added.
Jones' starting job -- and career with the Patriots -- is hanging by a thread after the quarterback was benched late in Sunday's 10-6 loss to the Colts. The third-year quarterback threw another inexcusable red zone interception in the final minutes of the loss, severely underthrowing a wide open Mike Gesicki in the end zone. The pass was easily picked off by the Colts, costing the Patriots a golden opportunity to win the game.
When the Patriots got the ball back with under two minutes left for one final chance to win the game, it was Bailey Zappe who took the field while Jones remained on the bench. (Zappe threw a game-ending interception, which shows how little the Patriots have on their QB depth chart.) It was the third time this season that Jones has been benched, and the fourth time in his career.
This one, however, felt different. Jones was benched against the Cowboys and the Saints because the Patriots were getting blown out. Sunday in Germany, the Patriots had one final chance to mount a comeback, and Belichick felt that it was in the team's best interest to put that on the shoulders of an ice cold Zappe instead of Jones.
No one would be too shocked if Belichick opts to start Zappe or even Will Grier when the Pats return to action against the New York Giants in Week 12. Zappe has now come on in relief of Jones three times this season, but he's only completed 40 percent of his passes (10-for-25) for 104 yards, no touchdowns, and the one interception that he threw to the Colts.
"Bailey's had some opportunities. I think he's prepared well every week," Belichick said. "We've called on him at the end of a couple of games -- three games I guess it was. I think he stepped in and did the best he could.
"Was it perfect? No. Was there some positive things? Yes," he said of Zappe this season.
Zappe gave the team a short-lived spark last season when he stepped in for an injured Jones, but the team hasn't seemed very impressed with the second-year quarterback in 2023. He was released ahead of the season and brought back on New England's practice squad when he went unclaimed. The team has brought in a few other quarterbacks to fill out the depth chart, including Grier, who was Sunday's emergency third-stringer.
Grier has only been around for about two months, but Belichick had some nice things to say about him on Monday.
"Will's certainly been improving every week in terms of understanding and working with his teammates, running the scout team, and executing the plays that he has the opportunity to," said Belichick. "There's not a lot of opportunities for that third position, which is where he's been. But he's taken advantage of the ones he's had."
So if you were looking for some quarterback clarity this Monday, your wait will continue. The Patriots haven't released their bye week schedule yet, but all eyes will be on who lines up at quarterback for the first-team reps whenever they do return to practice.
