FOXBOROUGH – While Bill Belichick’s stonewalling on the quarterback front is infuriating, his words are actually quite revealing.
On Tuesday, the Patriots coach was asked right out of the gate during his media session who he planned on starting at quarterback for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
“I’ve told all the players the same thing, be ready to go,” Belichick said in response. “So, hopefully they will be.”
Of course, that could be one giant smokescreen. Belichick knows who his quarterback his going to be, and he loves the ruse of keeping everyone guessing. Or, it’s really not that simple. There’s more to it, which is more likely the case.
Given how he phrased his non-answer, which he repeated almost a dozen times during the presser, that tells you Belichick isn’t in love with any of his quarterbacks, be it Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Will Grier, or Malik Cunningham.
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With his response, he’s essentially throwing all four of them against the wall, and hoping – praying – someone sticks. More to the point, he’s hoping Zappe, Grier or Cunningham will show something that allows him to sit Jones, who has been yanked from three games already this season.
That scenario provides the best illustration of where the 2-8 Patriots sit heading into Week 12. Having four quarterbacks vie for a start at this point means the head coach believes he has no quarterbacks on the roster he has faith in. It’s an indictment on all four starting with Jones.
Why wouldn’t he just go with the backup, Zappe, and end the charade?
SiriusXM NFL “Movin’ the Chains” host Jim Miller, a former backup to Tom Brady, was a guest on MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast and didn’t dispute that notion.
He sees Belichick’s “every player be ready to play” response as the head coach daring, coaxing someone to step up.
“If I’m any one of those four guys, I’m saying the job’s mine to take. Because if my number is called, I better be ready to go,” said Miller. “He’s putting the pressure on them. You better know the checks, you better know the protections, you better know where to go with the ball, you better not turn it over, so no matter how many reps you get, you better make the most of them.
“It’s putting it on the players that they better prepare themselves if their number is called. And if I’m in one of those four, I’d be like, ‘Game on, man! Let’s go. Because I’m about to go get this.’”
Good luck with that.
Jones’ confidence is already shot. He’s sunk to the point where his quarterback play is unrecognizable to those who watched him in college at Alabama, or even his rookie season with the Patriots.
His decision-making – once a strength – is now questionable, at best, and his footwork is a mess. He’s simply not stepping into his throws, often throwing with both feet side by side. And all of those flaws are on display and ratchet up during the key moments in games.
As for Zappe, after showing well in relief last year, he certainly hasn’t taken the ball and run with it to this point. He’s come on in relief three times, and done little, completing just 40% of his passes. Meanwhile, Grier hasn’t had many practice reps with the starters, and Cunningham is a project at best at this stage.
The fact there’s no obvious choice is part and parcel of the problem Belichick faces, not to mention created by having a merry-go-round of backups, and a starter he failed to develop properly.
Of course, the players said Tuesday they’d back any of the quarterbacks, no matter who winds up the starter.
Miller, who questioned Belichick for not having a veteran presence in the quarterback room with so many young players at the position, suspects it’ll still be Jones when the smoke clears. The third-year quarterback got the starter reps last week, and again Tuesday when the media was allowed to view practice for roughly 10 minutes.
“By doing it this way, they’re letting Mac Jones know he needs to perform better, . . . we need more production offensively,” said Miller. “Obviously, the quarterback is a big part of that. They touch the ball on ever play. They’re involved in a lot of decision-making, like throwing red zone interceptions when guys are open in the back of the end zone which can cause a coach to want to make a change.
“But I personally think they’re still going to roll with Mac Jones. that’s my take on this,” he went on. “Everyone knows why he was drafted, where he was, he’s just not playing very well. And I don’t think the guys around him are playing very well, either.”
In other words, it really doesn’t matter who is under center. Whether it’s Jones or anyone else, the offense is still going to be a problem.
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