New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Remarkable stat shows ineptitude of Patriots offense

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Nov 27, 2023 1:32 PM ET

The New England Patriots defense has stepped up over the last two games, allowing just 10 points in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts and 10 points in Week 12 against the New York Giants. Unfortunately for Pats fans, the struggles on offense continued Sunday as the team scored single-digit points for the second straight contest and fourth of the year, while losing their fourth game in a row.

New England's offensive ineptitude over the last season-plus under head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones have had many fans pining for the glory days of the "GOAT," Tom Brady.

Patriots were 77-0 in regular season and playoffs with Tom Brady at QB when allowing 10 or fewer points in a game https://t.co/1tDH1L5FEm
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 27, 2023

Jones was benched yet again in Week 12 after going 12-for-21 for 89 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for an abysmal 27.8 quarterback rating, which was the second worst of his career. Second-year pro Bailey Zappe came on in relief and wasn't much better, finishing 9-for-14 for 54 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

The Patriots benched Jones late in the fourth quarter of the team's 10-6 loss against the Colts and turned to Zappe to try and spark a game-winning drive. Jones finished the loss 15-for-20 for 170 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception while adding three rushes for 25 yards. Zappe was 3-for-7 for 25 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Belichick also has 28-year-old Will Grier as an option behind Jones and Zappe, but despite the call from some to give him a shot, the 2019 third-round pick hasn't played yet this season.

At this point, with a 2-9 mark and guaranteed losing record this season, the Patriots may have nothing to lose in turning to Grier.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads: