Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots spent the better part of two decades dominating the rest of the teams in the AFC East, and the entire NFL for that matter. But things haven’t been the same since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020, and things are looking bleak through five weeks of the 2023 season.
Patriots Bench Mac Jones For Second Straight Week
Unusual territory for Bill Belichick and the Patriots 👀 pic.twitter.com/EpN9PebkVC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 8, 2023
Expectations weren’t high for New England entering the season. The other three teams in their division appeared stacked, and they were long shots to even contend for the title in the East. There were serious questions about whether Mac Jones was the answer, and 2023 felt like a “prove it” season for the third-year quarterback.
It seems as though those questions have been answered, and the results are not good for Jones. He was average through the first three weeks, throwing for 748 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. But in Week 4 against the Cowboys, Jones threw two interceptions and had a sack fumble that was recovered and returned for a defensive touchdown. He completed just 12 of his 21 passes for a quarterback rating of 15.2 before he was benched in the 4th quarter in favor of Bailey Zappe.
The result was a 35 point loss, the largest of Belichick’s career.
But the QB change appeared temporary, as Jones was named the starter for Sunday’s game against the Saints. But the results were almost identical in Week 6. He went 12 for 22 for 110 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Mac Jones was benched for a second straight week, with Zappe taking over again in a landslide loss.
The 34 point loss was the second-largest of Belichick’s career.
Belichick Apparently Doesn’t Trust Zappe Or Jones
The Patriots have been outscored by 69 points in the past two games 😳 pic.twitter.com/bsGkj6JDXP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 8, 2023
Where does New England go from here? They obviously don’t believe that Zappe is the answer, given how many chances they’ve allowed Jones to have, and Belichick likely won’t keep going forward with a “starter” that is in danger of being benched every week. Will they look for a veteran free agent or trade target before the deadline? Or will they perhaps punt on the season, and maybe look in to tanking for Caleb Williams?
Given Belichick’s desire to reach the all-time wins mark held by Don Shula, losing on purpose is unlikely for a Patriots team led by the all-time great head coach. They will take on the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday.
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