Patriots Bill Belichick Reveals Plan For QBs Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe

With Jones showing signs of improvement in his recovery from a high ankle sprain, reports indicate he may get the starting nod over rookie Bailey Zappe in Week 6.

FOXBORO — Will the Zappe Days continue in New England? … Or is Mac on his way back?

That is the question on the collective mind of New England Patriots fans throughout the region and beyond as they begin preparations for their Week 6 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

While the Pats are riding the ‘era of good feelings’ from a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions in rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe’s first NFL start, New England’s incumbent starter Mac Jones is apparently getting that ‘ol’ familiar feeling’ to return to the gridiron.

Per a Wednesday morning report from ESPN, Jones has progressed well in his recovery from a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 3 and avoided any long-term issues. As a result, he might just be able to take the field versus the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

“Mac Jones has a decent chance to play this week against Cleveland, '' writes ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “I’m told he has progressed and even made last week’s decision to go with Bailey Zappe interesting. Jones is dealing with a high ankle sprain but appears to have avoided long-term issues or the need for immediate surgery. If Jones is healthy, he’s the quarterback.”

Still, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was quick to pull the ‘jump to conclusions’ mat out from under the media contingent on hand for his weekly Wednesday meet.

When asked about his thought process regarding the playing status of the Pats quarterback, Belichick once again offered a terse, "We'll see what he [Jones] looks like today and go from there." in response.

Jones has not played since hobbling off the Gillette Stadium field in significant pain at the closing moments of New England’s Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Since that time, he reportedly explored all available treatment options, including determining whether to undergo surgery. Ultimately, the 24-year-old opted for the less-invasive method and has shown notable progress in his mobility in each of his practice appearances.

As expected, Jones was on the practice field on Wednesday and looked … in the immortal words of Larry David … “pretty, pretty, pretty good.”

Jones clearly showing improvement in a week’s time. pic.twitter.com/yMMOILqTOa

— Bob Socci (@BobSocci) October 12, 2022

Should he continue to demonstrate such marked improvement as the week progresses, Jones seems to be in line to take the ball under center this weekend, right?

Not so fast…

Jones’ taking the spot from Zappe in Week 6 may not be a foregone conclusion. The rookie has shown tremendous poise and competitive spirit in leading the Pats over the past two games. Since relieving veteran backup Brian Hoyer, who left New England’s Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers after suffering a concussion (which would land him on injured reserve), Zappe has completed 27 of 36 pass attempts for 287 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in seven quarters plus one overtime period of work.

In addition to Zappe’s competence on the field, there is also the concern of prematurely rushing Jones back into action. While the Alabama product’s progress continues to provide optimism, NFL Network has reported (through their sources) that Jones would still be dealing with "some instability" in the ankle if he played this weekend, but that swelling around the injury has decreased and the issue "could be managed" if he continues to trend in the right direction.

Yet, Belichick once again confirmed that neither Jones’ health, nor Zappe’s strong showing would be considered in tandem when deciding who to start in Week 6. Despite his recent praise for Zappe's play, Belichick made it clear that the rookie’s recent success is "totally independent" and "has nothing to do with" with setting a timeline for Jones’ return.

The Pats head coach did, however, offer a moment of levity when asked about the similarities between his two young quarterbacks.

"How similar are they? They're both right handed," Belichick quipped.

With the task of facing the 14th ranked pass defense in the NFL (19th defense overall) of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, either Jones or Zappe would provide the type of strong logistical fit within New England’s offensive style to keep the team competitive. Ultimately, New England will make their decision based on what is best for their football team.

Kickoff for the Patriots and Browns is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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