Patriots head coach Bill Belichick mum on starting QB after loss to Bears
If there was a quarterback controversy in New England entering Week 8, the debate surely reached a fever pitch Monday night
However, in true Bill Belichick fashion, the New England Patriots head coach wasn't tipping his hand after his team's 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
"We just finished the game," Belichick told reporters when asked who will start at quarterback for the Patriots next week.
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Belichick elected to start Mac Jones at quarterback but removed him after three offensive series, the last of which ended in an interception. Belichick said the benching of Jones, who missed the last three games due to a high ankle sprain, was not due to injury or performance but was part of a plan to play two quarterbacks all along. All Belichick would concede Monday was the "factor" Jones' recovery from injury played in Monday's two-quarterback plan.
Enter Bailey Zappe, who led the Patriots to two consecutive touchdown drives to give New England a second-quarter lead as Gillette Stadium showered him with cheers and chants of his last name. Zappe, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft, won his first two starts in relief of Jones this season and gave the Patriots an immediate spark Sunday.
That spark was short-lived, however.
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The Patriots' offense grew stagnant as Zappe threw a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble in the second half, leading to a ferocious Bears comeback. Now the Patriots find themselves occupying last place in the AFC East with a 3-4 record ahead of a critical Week 9 matchup with the New York Jets (5-2).
But will it be Jones or Zappe who gets the start at MetLife Stadium?
"I guess when Sunday comes, we'll know," Jones said after the game. "I've been in this situation before, and I'm just going to try to help the team. Whatever my role is, I'll be ready, and I'll give it 100%"
Belichick was asked Monday whether a healthy Jones could be considered the Patriots' starting quarterback moving forward. The coach declined to commit.
"That's a hypothetical question," Belichick said on a conference call with reporters. "Let's see where that is and what that is."