No clarity on QB situation
Get prepared for another quarterback controversy in New England.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t name a starter after Sunday’s 10-7 loss to the Giants that saw Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe play.
“We just finished the game,” he said when asked who would start Week 13 against the Chargers.
After a two-week mystery over who would start at quarterback for the Patriots, Jones took the first snap of the first half. Zappe was inserted into the game for the first snap of the second half.
“Yeah, I thought both guys deserved a chance to play,” Belichick said.
Belichick was asked if the plan was to play Zappe in the second half or if that decision was based on the result of Jones’ play. The Patriots’ starter threw two interceptions — one near the end of the first quarter and another towards the end of the second quarter.
“Told everybody to be ready to go,” Belichick said. “I thought they both deserved to play.”
Jones, who was benched for the fourth time this season, finished 12- of-21 for 89 yards with two interceptions. Zappe was 9- of-14 for 54 yards with an interception.
Belichick might need to decide between Jones and Zappe again before next week. The team cut thirdstringer Will Grier on Saturday. He must clear waivers Monday at 4 p.m. for the Patriots to bring him back.
Practice- squadder Malik Cunningham told the Herald that he hasn’t practiced at quarterback since Week 6, but Belichick answered, “I think there’s an opportunity for everybody” when asked if Sunday’s result could lead to snaps for the rookie.
It’s also unclear when players found out who would start Sunday’s game. Belichick claimed he didn’t remember.
“Sometime during the week,” he said.
Belichick did say that he told quarterbacks before they traveled to New Jersey.
Tight end Hunter Henry said players found out, “today, when we went out.”
Wide receiver Devante Parker said, “They announced it, like, the day of or something.”
Parker said he did not find that unusual.
Neither quarterback would disclose when they found out who would start.
“I think that’s a — private conversations that we have during the week,” Zappe said. “I think that’s a question for Coach Belichick on when he made the decision. But I’ll keep that between us and the coaches.”
“We had talked about it,” Jones said. “Like you just brought up, you have to take advantage of the reps you get in practice. Just got to do a better job translating it.”
Jones and Zappe split first-team reps during the week. Players said that the two quarterbacks had already been rotating in practice, so it was nothing new.
Jones and Zappe would both answer how they found out Jones would be benched and Zappe would start the second half.
“As far as I know, we walked into the locker room, and OB (offensive coordinator Bill O’brien) looked at me and said, ‘Hey, you’re starting off the second half.’ I said, ‘ Yes, sir,’ and that’s really about it,” Zappe said.
“Coach O’brien told me I was out and I understood,” Jones said. “I wasn’t moving the ball. I wasn’t scoring points. I understand why that happened.”
Douglas leaves with head injury
Rookie wide receiver De
mario Douglas suffered his second head injury of the season Sunday when he was hit hard to the head and neck area by linebacker Cam Brown on a punt return.
Douglas claimed after the game that he did not suffer a concussion and said he was doing OK.
The rookie receiver briefly lay motionless on the field before standing up, taking his helmet off and walking to the Patriots’ blue pop-up medical tent. He quickly walked to the locker room and was initially ruled doubtful to return before being declared out.
Douglas has been one of the few bright spots for the Patriots’ offense all season. He caught six passes on nine targets for 49 yards and returned three punts for 9 yards before leaving the game.
Douglas, a sixth-round draft pick out of Liberty, leads the Patriots with 410 receiving yards on 36 receptions.
He suffered a concussion Week 5 against the Saints and missed the Patriots’ next game against the Raiders.
Why Brown didn’t start
Patriots left tackle Trent Brown was surprisingly active Sunday as he continues to deal with ankle and knee injuries, but he did not start the team’s loss to the Giants.
Instead, Conor Mcdermott, who started the Patriots’ previous two games at left tackle and was signed to the 53-man roster off of the practice squad Saturday, started, and Brown rotated into the game.
“Health reasons,” Brown said when asked why did didn’t start. “We talked about all week — my ankle, knee — still trying to get back and I think they did the best interest for me, I think so. I think they’ve done a good job of allowing me to feel my best. I think that showed today as well with the rotation. Got out there, I was feeling ok. Ended up playing a little bit more.”
Belichick said he believed both players deserved to play.