2:26 AM ET
Mike ReissESPN Staff Writer
- Covered Patriots since 1997
- Joined ESPN successful 2009
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots manager Bill Belichick wasn't acceptable to sanction a starting backmost successful the aftermath of a 33-14 blowout loss to the Chicago Bears connected Monday night.
Belichick pulled starter Mac Jones aft 3 series, inserting rookie Bailey Zappe successful his spot for the remainder of the crippled and sparking the question of who volition beryllium starting erstwhile the squad visits the New York Jets connected Sunday.
Belichick wasn't acceptable to perpetrate precocious Monday, saying: "We conscionable finished the game."
Jones' last play was an interception, but Belichick insisted helium wasn't benched and would person returned to the crippled successful the 2nd fractional if the people had been closer.
He said the squad intended to play some Jones and Zappe -- and informed some players of the program starring into the crippled -- with Jones' betterment from a near precocious ankle sprain "a factor" successful the decision. Jones was playing for the archetypal clip since Sept. 25.
The Patriots fell down 10-0 successful the archetypal quarter, and Zappe's insertion successful the crippled created an contiguous spark with back-to-back touchdown drives. But Zappe (14-of-22 passing for 185 yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions) couldn't transportation the momentum into the 2nd half.
As for what that means for Sunday's contention against the Jets (5-2), Jones is prepared for immoderate scenario. It's a captious crippled for the Patriots, who astatine 3-4 find themselves successful past spot successful the AFC East.
"I conjecture erstwhile Sunday comes, we'll know," Jones said aft going 3-of-6 passing for 13 yards with the 1 interception. "I've been successful this concern before, and I'm conscionable going to effort to assistance the team. Whatever my relation is, I'll beryllium ready, and I'll springiness it 100 percent."
Jones wouldn't enactment a percent connected his health.
"I don't truly bash the full percent thing. You are either capable to play oregon not. In the NFL, you don't get immoderate recognition for playing wounded oregon not, and there's nary excuses," helium said. "So I felt similar I was bully to go. With time, it volition get better. I've conscionable got to play better."
Some Patriots players seemed amazed by the backmost power -- and by proceeding the location assemblage chanting "Zappe! Zappe! Zappe!" arsenic Jones struggled. Zappe had generated notable instrumentality enactment aft helping the squad to victories the anterior 2 weeks.
"That's the NFL for you. It's a fast-changing business," starring wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said. "It's tough, arsenic a man, to spot idiosyncratic who works truthful hard get that benignant of treatment."
Jones said helium knew that Zappe would play astatine immoderate constituent connected Monday.
"I deliberation Coach Belichick had a truly bully program for us. I understood the program and what was going to hap ... and the timing is the timing. We were connected the aforesaid page, and there's nary hard feelings oregon anything," Jones said.
"I privation I played a small spot better. Obviously, the crippled wasn't bully by immoderate of us, and it starts with me."
Zappe was asked erstwhile helium learned that Jones would commencement connected Monday.
"About the aforesaid clip arsenic you each did," helium answered, which seemed to beryllium a notation to adjacent to kickoff. "I hole similar I person each different week, similar I was 1 play away. It's the aforesaid happening I'm going to bash this week."
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