Patriots Reportedly Name Starting QB And Fans Will Be THRILLED
Mac Jones, not Bailey Zappe, will be the starting QB for the New England Patriots this week when they face the Jets.
Jones reportedly took "90%" of the first team reps at Wednesday's practice, which came two days after Bill Belichick benched the incumbent starter in favor of Zappe in Monday's loss to Chicago.
Belichick, of course, played coy before, during and after the game, saying the plan was to play both quarterbacks all along. However, Jones was yanked after an interception early in the first half, and never played again.
Zappe, meanwhile, got a hero's welcome when he entered the game, and promptly led the team on two scoring drives before flaming out the rest of the way. The Patriots ultimately lost, 33-14, and Zappe finished with three turnovers in the second half.
Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe against the Jets? Bill Belichick plays dumb
Jones came into the season as the Patriots' unquestioned starter after leading the team to the postseason last year, but missed three games with an ankle injury. Zappe was pressed into action when backup Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion, and went 2-0 as a starter.
Zappe, a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, has become the obvious popular choice among fans. Jones and the offense struggled during the first quarter of Monday's game, which led to a smattering of boos throughout Gillette Stadium.
When Zappe entered, the place went nuts, and the rookie QB responded by leading back-to-back scoring drives to put New England ahead.
Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe both played against the Bears, but will that be the case this week? (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New England players not happy with Mac Jones situation
While fans may want the new guy, the locker room appears somewhat divided.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers called it an "ugly situation" while also appearing to take a subtle jab at Belichick.
“Not even as a football player, it’s tough as a man to see somebody who worked so hard, get that kind of treatment, but at the end of the day, we’re all trying to feed our families,” Meyers said. “We gotta go out there and make plays with whoever throwing it.”
Belichick, unsurprisingly, has gone into SERIOUS Bill Belichick mode since Monday's game when asked about the team's plan under center moving forward.
"We'll see how it goes today," the always-cheery coach said ahead of Wednesday's practice.
Despite all the mystery, there is certainly one thing we can all agree on ...
After watching Tom Brady and Bill Belichick destroy the NFL for 20 years, it's nice to see the Patriots forced to decide between ... Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.