New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is a man of few words. He has consistently been asked about his team’s performance during the 2023 season and he always has very little to offer.
While some of that may be gamesmanship, as he doesn’t want to give the Patriots’ opponent an edge, some of it can also be genuine. Heading into a Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, offensive answers have evaded New England all season.
The Patriots are ranked 31st in points scored and 25th in yardage gained in 2023. It has been a struggle to find any consistency on that side of the ball. New England is lacking high-end playmakers, but most importantly, the production they have received at the quarterback position has been bad.
2021 first-round pick Mac Jones has struggled all season, getting benched on three separate occasions. In Week 12 against the New York Giants, he was removed from the lineup at halftime after throwing two more interceptions in the first half.
NFL News & Rumors: Bill Belichick, Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots Updates
Bailey Zappe relieved him and led the team on a touchdown drive the first time they got the ball in the second half. He also put the team in position to send the game into overtime but Chad Ryland missed a 35-yard attempt in the waning seconds.
It was far from a perfect performance from Zappe, who completed 9-of-14 passes for 54 passes and threw an interception of his own. An argument can certainly be made that Zappe should be the starter come Sunday afternoon.
Alas, don’t expect to know who will be starting anytime soon. Like his normal self, Belichick played coy when asked about who would be under center. He provided a simple, straightforward five-word answer providing no context, saying, “We’ll see how it goes.”
NFL News & Rumors: Bill Belichick, Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots Updates
The real answer is the Patriots don’t have an answer. Jones and Zappe have both failed to prove they are worthy of being the starter for an NFL team with poor performances throughout the 2023 season.
Maybe the Patriots will turn to Will Grier, who they waived earlier this week but already re-signed. He and Malik Cunningham are two other quarterbacks on the roster that the Patriots could give a look at before the end of the season.
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