CLEVELAND — It is sometimes said that when a team has two quarterbacks, it really has none. But what if one played a major role in a 10-win season as a first-round rookie, and the other (a fourth-round rookie) stepped in to replace him when injuries struck early the next season and is 2-0 in those games?
That’s the situation the New England Patriots are facing with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe — far from the “2 equals 0” category and more the type of “problem” any team would like to have.
Thus, how coach Bill Belichick proceeds — with Jones seemingly closer to a return after sustaining a severe high left ankle sprain on Sept. 25 — adds a layer of intrigue as preparations shift toward hosting the Chicago Bears next Monday night (8:15 ET. ESPN).
Will it be the “Return of the Mac”?
Or “Don’t worry, be Zappe”?
At the least, Zappe’s capable performance in Sunday’s 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns (24-of-34 for 309 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions) gives Belichick something to think about from a timeline standpoint.
He can give Jones more time, and Jones can comfortably take that time to get himself as close to 100% as possible, without the team’s season slipping away. The Patriots are 3-3 and playing some of their best football over the past two weeks.
Belichick isn’t into hypotheticals, but here’s an example of one that could be in play: Jones assesses himself at around 75-85% and wants to give it a shot against the Bears. That would change the dynamics of Jones’ status from a medical decision to a football decision, with Belichick assessing whether a less-than-100% Jones is the better option than the healthier Zappe.
Source : espn
