The emergence of third-string rookie QB Bailey Zappe in New England’s last two games has put Mac Jones in an unexpected position regarding his starting role as the Patriots quarterback. In Week 4, Zappe impressed away to the Green Bay Packers in a 27-24 overtime loss and then led the Patriots to a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions in Foxborough.
Starting QB Mac Jones has been forced to sit on the sidelines with a high ankle sprain that he picked up in Week 3’s 37-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, according to CBS Boston Jones looked “much better” in Wednesday’s practice and has a “decent chance” to start this week away to the 2-3 Cleveland Browns. Will he reclaim his starting spot, or be usurped by the rookie?
No Answers From Belichick
When asked whether or not Jones would be able to play on Sunday, head coach Bill Belichick gave one of his trademark vague responses: “I don’t know.” Yet, this is not what broke the headlines. CBSSports’ Cody Benjamin reported that when Belichick was pressed if Mac Jones would keep his starting position once healthy, New England’s head coach cryptically said, “We’ll see.” Who should Bill Belichick choose to be the starter going forward once Jones recovers from his ankle injury?
Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe?
The second-year quarterback out of Alabama has had a difficult start to the 2022-23 campaign. Over three games Mac Jones has thrown for 786 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions, three of which came against the Ravens. Jones has a 66.0 completion percentage and a QB rating of 76.2. Compared to his rookie season, Mac Jones finished with a completion percentage of 67.6 and a QB rating of 92.5. Jones’ accuracy is certainly consistent with his production from last season, but costly interceptions have seen a 16.3-point drop in his QB rating.
On the other hand, rookie QB Bailey Zappe has proved to be a reliable backup during Jones’ absence. Through two games, Zappe has 287 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The first-year quarterback out of Western Kentucky has a completion percentage of 75.0 and an impressive 104.7 QB rating.
Although, it is important to note the disparity in not just the small sample size of games for Zappe but also the number of passes he’s thrown. Bailey Zappe has completed 27 passes out of 36 attempts, while Mac Jones has gone 64-97. Zappe averages 18 pass attempts a game, while Jones has averaged 32.3.
What conclusions can we draw? It is clear that the Patriots want to run the ball more when Zappe is starting, likely due to a lack of trust in the fourth-round draft pick to call offensive plays on the fly. QB Mac Jones had a strong first season in the NFL, and once he returns from his ankle injury he should be considered the starting quarterback for the Patriots. However, the proficiency of Bailey Zappe will keep Jones on his toes going forward for the rest of the season. Hopefully for New England, Zappe will push Mac Jones to improve on the lackluster numbers that he has produced so far.
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