FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Thursday that Mac Jones will start Sunday’s game at the Jets, and said the decision to start Jones was entirely related to the quarterback’s health.
“Yes. He’s ready to play,” Belichick said. “He was ready to play last week, just didn’t (play) the full game. This week is a different situation, and that’s it. We’ll take it from there.”
Asked if Bailey Zappe’s performance in last Monday’s loss to Chicago factored into the decision to start Jones, Belichick added: “No. That’s it.”
Zappe threw two interceptions in a scoreless second half and had one pass batted at the line in four second-half series. He finished 14-of-22 for 185 yards, one touchdown and two picks, after replacing Jones early in the second quarter. Zappe also took a sack. Over the Pats’ first three possessions, Jones completed half his passes and led the offense into a pair of punts and one interception.
The Patriots did not list Jones on their injury report Wednesday, the team’s first reports in four weeks that didn’t include him. He took 90% of the starting reps in Wednesday’s practice, according to a source.
“Mac took a full workload yesterday, and I expect him to be fully available here for the game and ready to go,” Belichick said Thursday. “So that’s really it for that.”
Belichick did not commit to starting Jones beyond Sunday, however. His refusal to anoint Jones past this weekend was a stark contrast to Belichick’s insistence that Cam Newton was the team’s quarterback even while Newton was benched three times in the 2020 season. Belichick was also steadfast that Tom Brady would remain the starter in 2014 after he was benched in a miserable Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, and years earlier when Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe during a 2001 Super Bowl campaign.
“I don’t want to go through a lot of hypotheticals. That’s where not we’re at,” Belichick said. “We’re getting ready for the Jets. That’s where we’re at. Period.”
He later added: “You’re going to give me a bunch of hypothetical situations, then I don’t know what those hypotheticals are, so we’re not going to get into that.”
On the season, Jones has completed 65% of his passes for 799 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. With Jones, the Patriots have pivoted to a risker downfield passing attack, which has pushed him into the league lead for average depth of target among quarterbacks with at least four starts. On average, he’s targeted receivers who are 10.4 yards downfield, more than two yards higher than his average last season.
With Zappe, the Pats have used a shorter, safer passing game that’s produced an average depth of target of 7.4 yards. He’s also dropped under center more often, which has amplified the positive effects of the Patriots’ play-action passing game. When Jones has played, the Patriots have operated more frequently from shotgun, something Jones
