New England Patriots Coach Mum on Starting Quarterback for Sunday’s Game

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would not confirm the identity of the starting quarterback ahead of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. But if the portion of practice that was open to reporters Wednesday is any indication, it appears he could turn to reserve Bailey Zappe for the No. 1 job.

Zappe took several reps, before being imitated by rookie Malik Cunningham, who is on the practice squad. Regular starter Mac Jones did not throw a pitch during the reporters’ observation period, nor did Will Grier.

“I’m not going to make an announcement about our roster at any position,” Belichick warned before practice. “We will see how things go in training, to determine if everyone is fit to play, what the injury situation is, then we will choose what is best for Sunday. »

Jones was not on the injured list this season, but had X-rays following the Nov. 12 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Germany. He was struck nine times and was assessed in his right arm or right shoulder, a source told ESPN.

Jones has been removed from the game four times in this difficult season (2-9), most recently at halftime of the game the Pats lost 10-7 to the New York Giants, after throwing two more interceptions of having been the victim of a loose ball which was recovered by a teammate.

A shaky offensive line and a group of receivers struggling to stand out didn’t help Jones’ cause, but he still took his share of the blame after the team was shut out in the first half against the Giants.

“I didn’t play well enough. If the quarterback doesn’t play well, you have no chance of winning,” he said. “I wasn’t moving the ball and I didn’t score a point. I understand why it happened (being taken out of the game). »

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who was brought back in 2023 after assisting Belichick from 2007 to 2011, supported Jones all season.

“He’s a very smart guy. He works very hard, he is passionate,” O’Brien said Tuesday. “It’s not going very well for him this year, but I don’t think he’s the first one to blame. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I’m the one who designs the games and it’s not going very well. Can he execute the plan better? Can he improve certain things? Of course. But we all have areas to improve in order to present a winning product on the field. »

Jones completed 224 of 345 passes for 2,120 yards this season, with 10 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He was the victim of 22 quarterback sacks.

Zappe, a 2022 fourth-round pick, is 19-for-39 for 158 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

2023-11-29 22:47:00
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