After weeks of change at the quarterback position, Mac Jones has nailed down his position as starter for the New England Patriots.
Jones missed three games through injury for the Patriots earlier in the season, and Bailey Zappe filled in for the regular starter. But he didn't just steady the ship, but he arguably improved it at times, and fans began to warm to the idea of Zappe becoming their main guy.
Head coach Bill Belichick has been bombarded with questions about who he will pick moving forward, although he appears to have made a decision as Jones has now played two straight-games for the Patriots. And Belichick has offered a fresh update, which may settle it once and for all.
The hype surrounding Zappe was intense, and this grew further when Jones was eligible to return. After three weeks of watching Zappe play incredible football, Jones was a shaken figure and suffered a nightmare return to the line-up.
The Patriots failed to score on Jones' first two drives back as they faced the Chicago Bears, and the quarterback even threw a costly interception before being yanked off by Belichick. Zappe replaced him in the second quarter, and then the Patriots quickly put 14 points on the board.
However, Zappe also threw two interceptions, and the Patriots suffered a heavy defeat. Jones has been the starting quarterback ever since, and they've won both games following the nightmare run out against the Bears.
Belichick spoke highly of Jones after their 26-3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and even made a comparison to Tom Brady. It seems as though Jones will continue to be the starter, and it's back to the bench for Zappe.
Jones was likened to Brady for his field awareness, with Belichick stating that both his past and present quarterback's have a tremendous ability to avoid getting sacked. "I think he's got a pretty good feel for that," Belichick said.
"A lot of it is just really ‘feel’ and ‘decision.’ Some of it is athletic ability too, but a lot of it is just seeing it through the right time. Tom [Brady] did a good job of that.
"He didn't run very often, but when he did, like last year against us, he got us on that third-and-four or whatever it was … it's just decisions and recognition of the situation. I think that’s one of his strengths."
It's certainly not a bad thing having two capable quarterbacks at your disposal, and it's certainly a privilege that not many NFL sides have currently. Zappe will still get a look in when the time is right, but it's Jones for now.
