Patriots quarterback Mac Jones walks off the field Monday night after a 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Foxborough, Mass. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will start Sunday against the Jets and took 90% of the starting snaps in Wednesday’s practice, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Ask Jones and he believes he deserves to start. Whether he’s definitively been told that he will is a different matter.
“I plan to start every game that I’ve ever played in, Whether that was in pee-wee football or third string at Alabama,” he said Wednesday when asked about the report that he will remain the starter against New York. “I always try to prepare as a starter. Like I always say, if it’s one snap or 70 I’ll be ready to go and that’s all you can do. You can’t really control anything else. I work really hard and put myself in position to do that and, yes, I think I deserve that.”
Jones struggled in his return to the lineup in Monday’s 33-14 loss to Chicago in which he played only three series, threw an interception and got benched in favor of backup Bailey Zappe.
It was Jones’ first game action since he sprained his left ankle late in New England’s loss to Baltimore on Sept. 25.
Zappe provided some instant offense, leading two touchdown drives that took less than four minutes to give his team a 14-10 lead in the second quarter. But the Patriots had no points on five drives in the second half, which included two Zappe interceptions.
The Patriots had what amounted to a walkthrough on Wednesday and beforehand Coach Bill Belichick said only that “We’ll see how it goes” regarding what he needed to see from Jones for him to remain the starter.
Jones played with a brace on his left leg in Monday’s loss to Chicago, but he wasn’t wearing it on Wednesday. His name was also not listed on the injury report when it was released later in the afternoon.
“I feel pretty good. Just trying to get my treatment and I’ve done a good job with that,” Jones said of his ankle. “Just like everybody else I’m just sticking to my routine and trying to get back into that and become a better football player. … We have a plan. And for me right now that’s to become a better quarterback individually and a better player. And I’m doing everything I can to do that. I just want to prove that everyday and that’s what I’m going to do.”
During training camp, special teams captain Matt Slater, the Patriots’ longest-tenured player, said he believed this was Jones’ team and that this would be a season for him to assume a leadership role.
He said Wednesday that he stands by that despite Jones’ slow start to the season.
“I do, yes,” Slater said. “I still feel that way. I still have a lot of confidence in him as a player and him as a person. … I think we’re all doing a little soul searching trying to figure out how we can all play better football.”
SAFETY KYLE DUGGER, center David Andrews and defensive tackle Christian Barmore were all absent for Wednesday’s practice.
Dugger and Andrews left Monday’s loss to the Bears because of injuries. Dugger hurt his ankle in the third quarter, and Andrews is reportedly in concussion protocol after taking an illegal blindside block during a fourth-quarter interception return for Chicago.
Barmore missed the game because a knee injury he suffered on Oct. 16 against the Browns. He was healthy enough, though, to be a limited participant in the team’s three practices last week.
Practice-squad defensive lineman LaBryan Ray was also absent, but kicker Tristan Vizcaino returned, indicating he has been re-signed.
Offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste appeared in uniform, a strong sign he has been designated to return from injured reserve. Cajuste missed the Patriots’ last four games because of a thumb injury.
ESPN IS LOOKING to set the record straight that, no, Mac Jones’ interception against the Chicago Bears was not a result of a ball hitting their SkyCam wiring.
“This pass from Mac Jones did not hit ESPN’s SkyCam wiring,” ESPN wrote Wednesday in a Twitter statement. “This video creates a false impression, but in reality the SkyCam wire was more than 15 feet above the ball and our SkyCam system followed all NFL protocols.”
The interception occurred on the Patriots’ third drive, when Jones heaved an off-balance pass that was intercepted by Bears defensive back Jaquan Brisker. If the pass had in fact hit the wire, by rule the play should have been blown dead.
Jones did not return to the game following the interception, with rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe taking over behind center on the ensuing drive.
After the game, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said that the interception was not a factor in the team making a change at quarterback.
“No, we had planned to play – I told the quarterbacks that we were going to play both of them, and that’s what we did,” Belichick said.
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