Patriots Bill Belichick on Starting QB Mac Jones vs. Jets: ‘Everybody Knows'

The speculation surrounding the Patriots decision to start either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe reached a fever pitch following the team’s Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots have reportedly decided on their starting quarterback for Sunday’s Week 8 matchup with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. 

After taking approximately “90 percent of the first-team reps” in practice on Wednesday, Mac Jones appears to be coach Bill Belichick’s choice to lead the Pats offense into the ‘green side’ of the Meadowlands this weekend. 

For Jones, however, his approach will remain the same as it has been since he first put on shoulder pads. 

“I plan to start every game that I've ever played in,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “So whether that was in peewee football or third string at Alabama, I always try to prepare as a starter. Like I always say, ‘if it's one snap or 70, I'll be ready to go.’ That's all you can do, right?”

In echoing Jones’ point, Belichick confirmed on Thursday that Jones “took a full workload [during the previous day’s practice] and that he expects the 24-year-old to be “ready to go for the game.” 

Coincidentally, Jones was removed from the Patriots injury report on Wednesday. 

When asked about providing an official stamp on the reports that had been named the starter, Belichick stopped short of providing confirmation. Instead, he cryptically stated:

“I talked to all the quarterbacks … everybody knows where we are at.” 

Regardless of whether Belichick’s confirmation was definitive or not, making the early decision is clearly the right move for New England. In addition to providing advanced preparation time for Jones, it also helps to clear the cloud of speculation surrounding the Pats quarterback situation in recent weeks. 

Having been sidelined for just over three weeks while recovering from a high ankle sprain, Jones had yielded the starting duties to rookie Bailey Zappe. Prior to their Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears, Zappe had performed well, leading the Pats to a 2-1 record, demonstrating the type poise, confidence and sound decision making which seemed to elude Jones in his first three games.   

Still, Belichick chose to start Jones against Chicago; a 33-14 Week 7 loss from which he was chased early in the second quarter. The Alabama product had a rough return to the gridiron, finishing the night going 3 of 6 for 13 yards and one interception. He often struggled to find his receivers downfield and forced his passes; one of which was acrobatically intercepted with one hand by Bears defensive back Jaquan Brisker.

Despite leading the Pats on consecutive scoring drives and a 14-10 lead, Zappe’s success was only short-lived. After a brief spike of ‘Zappe Fever,’ 18 incompletions, two interceptions and one lost fumble brought the Pats back down to ground level with a resounding thud. 

While switching quarterbacks within a game is seldom an ideal situation, Belichick revealed shortly after the that playing both Jones and Zappe on Monday night was a “part of the plan, all along.” As a result, the identity of New England’s starting quarterback became the subject of speculation, scorn and even satire. 

For now, those questions have apparently been put to rest. Jones and the Patriots offense may now put the uncertainly behind them and forge forward in fixing a unit with multiple problems at the present time. 

“I think we're making good strides,” Jones said when asked about the team’s need for improvement. “We want to be better. We all know that. We want to score more points. We want to do things better. Our coaches are doing a great job. They're working really hard. We've made a lot of progress together. I think being close is never good enough. But I think we're getting there. We just want to fix the things that we can fix and be better.”

However, Jones also realizes that repairing the Pats offensive woes begins with improving his performance. 

“For me, right now, that's to become a better quarterback individually and a better player,” Jones said. I'm doing everything I can to do that. I just want to prove that every day. That's what I'm going to do.” 

In spite of Jones’ assertions, some continue to question his confidence, especially when taking under account his recent performance. Yet, Jones sounded like a player who is ready for the challenges that lay ahead. 

Simply put, it is his job … and he believes he has earned the chance to be the Patriots starting quarterback. 

“You can't really control anything else,” Jones added when asked if he felt validated by his reportedly being named the Pats Week 8 starter. “I work really hard and put myself in position to do that. Yes, I think I deserve that.”

With all the logistical pieces now in place, all that remains is for Jones to take the field … and prove it. 

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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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