The New England Patriots seem to be playing considerably better with Bailey Zappe than they did under Mac Jones, which has led an NFL insider to pose a very intriguing question.
Did the Patriots quit on Jones?
“The Patriots most certainly haven’t quit on Bill Belichick, but given the way Bailey Zappe has sparked the offense, it’s certainly fair to wonder whether the players had given up on Mac Jones,” wrote Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “Jones’ string of bleep-ups in games coincided with similar plays showing up in practice, and while Zappe’s no world-beater, the players at least know what to expect when he’s in there.”
One thing is for sure: The offense has certainly been more exciting with Zappe taking snaps.
Patriots beat writer Evan Lazar posted a very interesting stat on X this week, noting that Zappe has completed 12 passes of 20 or more yards in 117 attempts. Meanwhile, it took Jones 345 attempts just to total 15 of those.
New England’s points per game have also improved under Zappe, as the club is averaging 16.3 points per game with Zappe at the helm. The Pats logged just 13.4 points per game under Jones.
It’s not like the Patriots suddenly have an elite offense with Zappe at quarterback — 16.3 points per game isn't good; it’s just better than what the Jones-led offense as producing.
However, New England has picked up two wins over its last three games, beating playoff hopefuls like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos in the process. So it’s not like the Pats were beating clubs such as the Carolina Panthers or the Arizona Cardinals.
So, did the Patriots really give up on Jones? We probably won’t find out until after the season — and that’s if New England ultimately ends up moving Jones (and it almost certainly will).
That being said, it seems doubtful that the Pats are going to commit to Zappe as their full-time starter heading into 2024. The Patriots should have a great first-round draft pick at their disposal this coming spring, and it appears likely that they will use it on a quarterback.
What all of this does potentially demonstrate is just how much Jones had lost the team.
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