2023 has been anything but typical for the New England Patriots. The proud franchise that was not so long ago the standard of excellence for the NFL, has now seen them bench their starting quarterback Mac Jones and spiral out into one of the league’s worst teams.
In what was a make-or-break year for Jones and the Patriots, it has certainly been more the latter than anything else. Jones doesn’t look to be in the franchise’s plans, there are rumblings around the team moving on from legendary head coach Bill Belichick, and there’s complete ineptitude when it comes to roster building.
But how did we get here with Jones and Co.?
Why Was Mac Jones Benched?
Simply put, Jones was not good enough this season.
In what many thought was a decline that started in 2022 with a poor performance, it continued into the new season as something that just didn’t get any better. In many cases, it got much worse.
Jones seemed to regress when it came to protecting the football and making smart decisions. One of the biggest appeals for the Patriots when it came to drafting Jones was his football IQ.
That seemingly began to diminish over the last two seasons, as a decision had to be made to bench him.
The final straw came against the New York Giants in Week 11 when New England opted to bench Jones for Bailey Zappe — for good this time — at halftime. Jones threw two interceptions in the first half, with the Patriots trailing 10-7.
That seemed to be all the team needed to see to make a change.
When asked about inserting Zappe into the lineup, Belichick was his usual mum self.
“I thought both guys deserved a chance to play,” Belichick told reporters after the game.
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When asked if Jones’ benching was due to the quarterback’s performance, he said, “I told everybody to be ready to go.”
The Patriots have since turned to Zappe and haven’t looked back, assuredly ending what was a disappointing era for Jones in New England.
Bailey Zappe’s Biggest Opportunity
Zappe has started three games thus far this season and has appeared in seven. There were times when the team flirted with making a change at quarterback but ultimately would go back to Jones before Week 11 changed it all.
Zappe has only produced one win since becoming QB1. However, two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers provided the first real glimmer of hope for an otherwise stagnant Patriots offense. Zappe finished 19 of 28, throwing 240 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots lost last week to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Zappe and the offense looked respectable in defeat. He finished with an 85.4 passer rating (his second-best outing of the season). So while New England didn’t get the victory, the offense has seemed to have found a little bit of a groove over the last couple of weeks.
The season is lost for the Patriots but don’t tell that to Zappe and those guys who are fighting for jobs — more importantly, respect. Maybe a change was all this team needed after all.
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