How Mac Jones reacted to his fourth benching of the season

Patriots

“I wasn’t moving the ball, and I wasn’t scoring points. So, I understood why that happened.”

Mac Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe in the second half Sunday. AP Photo/Adam Hunger
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The Patriots have “no chance” to win football games when a quarterback performs the way Mac Jones did on Sunday, Jones told reporters after the game.

“It was just bad quarterback play, and not good enough by me,” Jones said.

Jones threw two interceptions and was unable to lead the team to a scoring drive before being benched in the second-half.

His first interception came in the final seconds of the first quarter. Demario Douglas was surrounded by three Giants defenders near the sideline. Jones decided to throw the ball anyways and launched it over Douglas’s head and into the hands of New York’s Deonte Banks.

Jones tried to hit Douglas again with 4:38 remaining in the second quarter. New York’s Isaiah Simmons came untouched off the edge, creating enough pressure to scare Jones into making a hurried throw off of his back foot well short of Douglas who was sprinting out of the backfield.

The throw was so short that Douglas had to look backwards to even see it.

Jones completed 12 of his 21 passing attempts for 89 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns before he was taken out of the game at halftime.

”Coach O’Brien told me I was out and I understood,” Jones said. I wasn’t moving the ball, and I wasn’t scoring points. So, I understood why that happened.”

Bailey Zappe, who took over for Jones at the half, said that Jones told him to go win the game.

Zappe didn’t fare much better — he went 9-for-14 for 54 yards, an interception, and no touchdowns. However, the Patriots scored their only touchdown of the game on his first drive. The Patriots were in position to tie the game with a 35-yard field-goal on Zappe’s final drive, but Chad Ryland missed the kick.

“I think that just comes down to me, doing my job. Incompletions, turnovers, that just comes down to the quarterback,” Zappe said. “I take that. That’s on me. In the second half, we started off hot on the first drive, marched right down and scored. I have to be able to keep the team going and keep that energy up throughout the second half. I wasn’t able to so that, and that’s on me.”

It was unclear whether Zappe or Jones would start heading into Sunday’s game. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he couldn’t remember when he told the team who would be starting. Zappe said he’d prefer to keep the conversation private.

The Patriots have started Jones in every game this season. They’ve benched him four times after being frustrated with his performances. But, they’ve always gone back to him as the starter — at least through the first 11 games.

Earlier in the week, multiple reports stated that Zappe and Jones split practice reps 50-50 throughout the week.

Asked if it would help to have the full load of reps should Belichick decide to start him this week, Zappe said:

“Yeah, that’s Coach Belichick’s decision,” Zappe said. “If I start, I’m going to do everything can like I have the past times I’ve started and try to go out there and win.”

Jones said he’s not focused on who will start next week.

“It’s tough,” Jones said. “I always just try to control what I can control and let the external factors be the external factors. Really have to just look in the mirror and keep going at it. That’s all I can do.”