Bill Belichick won’t get “into a lot of hypotheticals” about quarterbacks

NFL: OCT 09 Lions at Patriots
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The Patriots got a win with rookie Bailey Zappe at quarterback on Sunday and it remains unclear when Mac Jones will be cleared to return from an ankle injury.

Until Jones is cleared, there won’t be any discussion of long-term quarterback plans involving head coach Bill Belichick. During an appearance on WEEI on Monday, Belichick was asked if Zappe could hold onto the job once Jones is back and he made it clear that he wouldn’t engage in that conversation.

“Yeah, I’m not going to get into a lot of hypotheticals on all the different things that might or might not happen and all that,” Belichick said. “That’s just, to me, a waste of time. I’m not going to sit around here and dream up scenarios and all that. We’ll take things as they come and go from there. Obviously, Mac wasn’t active yesterday, so it wasn’t any part of any decision yesterday.”

Jones was limited in practice all last week before being listed as doubtful on the final injury report before facing the Lions. Wednesday will tell us what kind of practice work Jones is doing this week.

15 responses to “Bill Belichick won’t get “into a lot of hypotheticals” about quarterbacks

  1. So many terrible takes out there on this topic.

    Mac Jones is the starting QB of this team and once healthy again that’s what he will be.

    Nothing has happened to date that should change that fact.

  2. A better question would have been if Hoyer is cleared from the concussion protocol, and Mac Jones is not ready to play, then who starts; Zappe or Hoyer? BB would still avoid a direct answer but the obvious answer is Zappe. The kid has managed the game much better than anyone would have expected for the last two weeks, and made some plays. Big surprise to me if BB went back to Hoyer.

  3. I’d love to see the Pats try that one read passing game with Zappe against a good team. Yeah good luck with that.

    Zappe stinks.

  4. Sometimes the media is so clueless. They always want to be the hero and put coaches in a “gotcha!”-type thing, but Belichick is absolutely right about hypotheticals.

    There IS an answer, but they never ask the right, simple question: “Coach Belichick, what criteria are you using to determine if Jones is starting next week?”

  5. Patriots seem to be in good QB shape once Jones is healed. They have a good QB with a lot of upside in Jones and a reliable backup who has proven he can play at the NFL level in Zappe. Let Zappe “push” Jones in practice and you have your two guys.

  6. Blessing in diguise…Rookie QB pushes 2nd year QB. Classic BB. The fact BB has Zappe coached so well so soon is one of his specialties.

    How many rookie 3rd string QBs would take so few reps in camp and then look that poised in early October in their first start?

    BB made Brady. End of discussion.

  7. Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Remember when patsy fans said noodle arm was a top 5 QB? Pepperidge farms does.

  8. Zappe had the same number of TDs against the worst defense in the league as the Patriots defense had yesterday. Lol. The offense also went 0 for 4 in the red zone against that very same worst defense in the league. Lol.

    Yeahhh…. put Jones back in as soon as he can go. The offense needs him.

  9. who has proven he can play at the NFL level in Zappe
    —-
    He wasn’t facing an NFL level defense yesterday. He will on Sunday though. If Jones doesn’t play it could get ugly.

  10. Browns fans here. I thought our defense would be top 10 but we have 3rd string RBs running 100 + yards. Last week vs Chargers was even worse with 200+ yards given up on the ground. It doesn’t really matter who is back there at QB, just hand the ball off and you’ll be fine.

  11. whywerule says:
    October 11, 2022 at 7:51 am
    A better question would have been if Hoyer is cleared from the concussion protocol, and Mac Jones is not ready to play, then who starts; Zappe or Hoyer?
    ==============================================================================
    Hoyer is on IR, so I dont think that is a question at all, let alone a “better” one

  12. GoodellMustGo says:
    October 11, 2022 at 7:59 am
    I’d love to see the Pats try that one read passing game with Zappe against a good team. Yeah good luck with that.

    Zappe stinks.

    *******************************************************

    I listened to post game reports and the discussion by former NFL players was how Zappe was doing full field reads. I’m not saying he should be starting. I do think Mac can learn something watching this, and so can the coaches. It may be a silver lining situation with Mac’s injury. If minds are open, both the coaches and Mac will be doing their jobs better after this experience. More play action, more scheming guys open, and more play calls suited to the talent, and what is working. Less forcing of what doesn’t work. Master what works before adding in other wrinkles like stretch runs and RPO’s etc. Hopefully Mac is watching and comes back with a better ability to read how receivers are running routes, and gets the ball over the correct shoulder. I’d play Zappe as long as it’s not a problem, until Mac is fully healthy. No sense having him re-aggravating back and ankle injuries all season. When he comes back he will benefit from what appears to be improved o-line play the last two weeks. On a side note, the improved o-line play may be a result of the play calling and need to protect your last QB. Mondre’s blitz pickups have been stellar. More of that please. The Pat’s haven’t had a back like Stevenson since Clock Killin’ Corey Dillon.

    The game in Cleveland features two very similar teams with regard to on field results. They are pretty evenly matched. The game will come down to Special Teams, Turnovers, and who can run the ball the best. The Browns may have an advantage with Chubb/Hunt since Harris is down for the Pat’s. However, the Patriots have Belichick. If after 3 qtrs they are in a dead heat, then, it will come down to whether Jacoby Brissett the vet outduels Zappe the rookie. The Browns get the standard 3 point favorite status since they are at home. It should be good football weather in “The Cleve…The Rock and Roll Capital of The World.” I’m sure we’ll hear from Belichick this week on the history of the Browns etc., unless he has hard feelings for how he was treated there in the 90’s. But that was Modell’s fault for moving the team….an egregious sin in my eyes, worse than firing Paul Brown. We’re all grateful Bob Kraft stepped in and prevented the Patriots from being moved to St Louis in the 90’s. We barely avoided that fate, and the rest is NFL history.

    Fun Fact: September 21, 1970, the Browns played the Jets in the first prime time NFL Monday Night Football game ever. The Jets had Joe Willie Namath, and the Browns had a receiver named Fair Hooker, to which Dandy Don Meredith said to Howard Cosell, “That’s a great name, but I haven’t met one yet.” Edgy for 1970…lol.

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