The New England Patriots have had issues at quarterback for the better part of two seasons now. The Pats have benched incumbent starter Mac Jones three different times this season, including in their Week 10 loss against the Colts in Germany before their bye.
Now, it seems like they don’t yet know who their starter will be when they take the field for Week 12. At least, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien doesn’t know. Or he’s just not telling.
“At the end of the day, Bill (Belichick) will make that decision at some point and we’ll go from there,” O’Brien said Monday, per NFL Media.
Jones has struggled badly this season, completing 65.4% of his passes at an average of just 6.3 yards per attempt, with 10 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He was removed from the game at the end of blowouts against both the Cowboys and Saints earlier this year, and taken out for the final drive against the Colts despite the Patriots only trailing by 4 points at the time.
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It’s been a long fall from grace for Jones after he had put together a solid rookie season. His yards per attempt average, touchdown rate, passer rating, and QBR have fallen with each passing season, while his interception rate now stands at a career-high and he has seen his sack rate spike this season as well.
Backup Bailey Zappe had moderate success in two starts last season, but hasn’t looked good in his limited action this year or in the two other games where he entered for Jones due to injury a year ago. The Pats seem like they are headed for one of the top picks in next year’s draft, where they can hopefully solve their problems by landing someone like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
