The New England Patriots were trounced by the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 4 matchup. New England was catching Dallas at a bad time as they were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Looking to get back on track, they took all of their frustrations out of a Patriots team that blinked and was down multiple scores.
The Cowboys ended up winning the game 38-3, but the end score wasn’t the hottest topic of discussion coming from the game. That distinction would go to the Patriots’ decision to bench quarterback Mac Jones in the third quarter.
It was the worst loss in the illustrious coaching career of Bill Belichick, but the benching of Jones is what caught everyone’s attention. There were reports all offseason about some tension between the two and this decision isn’t going to ease those.
However, speaking after the game, Belichick made a few things clear. Jones was benched because he didn’t see a point in leaving him in a blowout, not because of performance. And, the 2021 first-round pick is still the Patriots’ starting quarterback going forward.
The no sense in leaving him in the game does have merit. There is no reason to leave a struggling player on the field in a blowout to further ruin his confidence. But, had Jones not struggled as much as he did, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once, two of which turnovers the Cowboys defense scored touchdowns on, the team wouldn’t have been in that position.
“Definitely disappointed in myself. I feel like I can play a lot better,” Jones said. “I put a lot into it and I feel really bad. I let my team down, let the coaches down, the whole organization, everybody — the fans. I have to put a better product out there to beat good teams.”
Things have not gone well for the Patriots this season, as the 55 points scored through four games are the second least under Belichick. The only time they scored fewer through four games was in 2000, his first season as head coach when they scored 51.
With rumors swirling about Belichick’s job security, this start isn’t going to help. If a playoff appearance is what the team needs for him and Jones to keep their jobs, they should start planning to do something else at this time in 2024.
