New England Patriots

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is reportedly dealing with numbness in his toes on his left foot due to a high ankle sprain suffered on Sept. 25 versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Mike Giardi of NFL Network provided more information.

Per source, #Patriots QB Mac Jones is dealing with numbness in the toes on his left foot as he continues to recover from the left ankle injury that sidelined him for 3 weeks. It didn't impact Mac's on-field prep for the #Jets but keep an eye on it. #Bears noticed some favoring.

— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) October 28, 2022

Jones missed three games but returned to start Monday against the Chicago Bears.

However, he was soon benched in favor of rookie backup Bailey Zappe after a second-quarter interception. The Pats ended up losing 33-14.

In his postgame press conference, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick answered "no" when asked if the benching was injury- or performance-related. Rather, he said that the plan pregame was for the team to play both quarterbacks.

Zappe started for the Pats each of the last two weeks after taking over midgame against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 when Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion.

Belichick told reporters that the plan is for Jones to start versus the New York Jets on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Jones is in his second NFL season. He has completed 65 percent of his passes for 799 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in four games.

It's a clear step back from last year, when Jones shone as a rookie thanks to a 67.6 percent completion rate, 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns (13 picks). Thanks in part to his efforts, the Pats went 10-7 and reached the playoffs after missing out the year before.

Jones and the 3-4 Pats will look to hit .500 when they visit the Jets in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Mac Jones is apparently back to full strength for Sunday's game against the New York Jets after seeing limited playing time in Week 7.

"Mac took a full workload yesterday, and I expect him to be fully available for the game and ready to go," head coach Bill Belichick told reporters Thursday.

Jones started last week against the Chicago Bears after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury, but he was replaced by Bailey Zappe after three possessions in the eventual 33-14 loss.

"He was ready to play last week, but just didn't feel it was the full game," Belichick clarified. "This week is a different situation."

Jones was named the starter for Week 8 on Wednesday, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Jones had just 13 yards on 3-of-6 passing against the Bears, throwing one interception with no touchdowns. It's been a rough second season for the 2021 first-round pick, who's totaled six interceptions with just two touchdowns in four games.

Though he doesn't have enough attempts to qualify, his 33.6 Total QBR would rank 31st in the NFL, ahead of only Joe Flacco and Baker Mayfield.

The 24-year-old was much better last season when he earned a Pro Bowl selection while totaling 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a trip to the playoffs.

This season, Jones has been overshadowed by rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe, who has five touchdown passes with three interceptions in four games. On just 11 fewer pass attempts, he's compiled a 100.9 passer rating compared to Jones' 70.8 rating.

Belichick is sticking with his Week 1 starter for now, but Jones must start to resemble the player he was last year if he wants to remain the first-string QB for the 3-4 squad.

With less than one week to go before the trade deadline, the New England Patriots find themselves in last place in the AFC East and in a position where they could become sellers.

Per Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the Patriots have received calls from teams about a number of players, including running back Damien Harris and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Jabrill Peppers, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne are other players who have generated trade interest.

Kyed did note New England isn't shopping Harris and Peppers.

NFL Network's Mike Giardi noted teams have also called the Patriots about offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn.

The Patriots have been inconsistent through the first seven weeks of the season. They lost three of their first four games before beating the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns to get their record back to .500.

Monday night saw the Patriots defense allow 390 total yards of offense to the Chicago Bears in a 33-14 loss. It marked the third time in five games New England has given up at least 390 yards to the opposing team.

In the same game, head coach Bill Belichick benched Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe, and the fourth-round rookie led the Patriots' only two scoring drives in the second quarter. He's played surprisingly well this season with a 70.7 completion percentage, 781 yards and five touchdowns with a 2-0 record in two starts.

Belichick has been coy about who will start Sunday's game against the New York Jets, but ESPN's Field Yates reported Jones will get the nod after taking about 90 percent of the first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice.

While it seems unlikely the Patriots would wave the white flag on this season, especially since they are only one game out of a playoff spot at this point, there are practical reasons to at least consider making a move or two before the trade deadline.

The team currently has $164.4 million in projected salary on the books for next season, per Spotrac. Harris and Meyers are each in the final season of their current deals.

Even though Harris has been the starting running back in five of the six games he's played, Rhamondre Stevenson is the No. 1 back with a team-high 123 touches. Meyers does lead the team in targets (33), receptions (26), receiving yards (355) and receiving touchdowns (two).

The Patriots could decide to sell before the deadline if this week's game against the Jets doesn't go in their favor. The NFL trade deadline is at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 1.

Mac Jones reportedly will be the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in Week 8 against the New York Jets over Bailey Zappe.

Field Yates of ESPN reported the news:

Breaking news for Week 8: Patriots QB Mac Jones took about 90% of the first teams reps in practice today and will start for the team on Sunday against the Jets, per source. pic.twitter.com/Gc2js6YabK

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 26, 2022

Jones started in Game 7 after missing the previous three games due to a high ankle sprain, but he struggled upon his return and was benched after three series. Zappe took over and led touchdown drives in each of the next two possessions before the Patriots ultimately lost to the Chicago Bears 33-14.

After the game, head coach Bill Belichick said Jones wasn't benched and he might've come back in if it was closer.

Jones entered the year as the unquestioned starter after a strong 2021 when he finished second in voting for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The 2021 No. 15 overall draft pick threw 22 touchdown passes with 13 interceptions and a 92.5 passer rating, leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance.

His peers voted the quarterback as the No. 85 overall player in the league in the NFL Top 100.

Jones has struggled in 2022, however, throwing just two touchdown passes in four games with six interceptions for a 70.8 passer rating. The Patriots are 1-3 in his starts so far this season.

Zappe, a rookie fourth-round pick, has brought more life to the offense this season with five touchdowns, three interceptions and a 100.9 rating. He totaled 309 passing yards with two scores in the Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns.

The Western Kentucky product set NCAA single-season records last year with 5,967 passing yards and 62 passing touchdowns.

He's done enough to create a difficult decision for the Patriots after a 3-4 start to the 2022 season.

The coaching staff decided to go with Jones in Week 7, although there could be a short leash with two quality options under center.

ESPN denied its SkyCam setup played a role in an interception thrown by New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones on Monday night.

"This pass from Mac Jones did not hit ESPN’s SkyCam wiring," the company said Wednesday. "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."

Bears safety Jaquan Brisker picked off a pass by Jones in the second quarter. One angle of the turnover led some fans to question whether the ball clipped the wiring used for the SkyCam that hangs above the field.

One-handed!@JaquanBrisker gets the INT. 🙌

📺: #CHIvsNE on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2HQeNdaFPc pic.twitter.com/4r3PeOsdHe

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2022

NFL rules stipulate a play is blown dead when the ball contacts an object that isn't part of the field, such as SkyCam. Given how consequential Jones' interception could be, missing that call would've been a significant error by the officiating crew.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick replaced Jones with Bailey Zappe on New England's next drive. Zappe finished out the game and went 14-of-22 for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

A quarterback change might have been inevitable in the short term, and the QB controversy brewing in New England could amount to nothing if Jones reasserts himself as the starter.

But Brisker's play could be a pivotal moment for both Jones and the franchise depending on how the next few weeks unfold.

"Zappe Fever" has reached an all-time high in New England after Patriots head coach Bill Belichick opted to replace Mac Jones with Bailey Zappe on the team's fourth drive of Monday's 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.

While Belichick told WEEI's The Greg Hill Show that he intended to play both Jones and Zappe on Monday night, Zappe said he had no idea that he would be put into the game so early.

"No, sir," Zappe said on WEEI's Merloni, Fauria and Mego when asked if he knew that the fourth drive was when he would replace Jones. "That is up to Coach Belichick."

After Jones led the New England offense to three scoreless drives to start the game, Belichick pulled the plug on the second-year signal-caller, opting to turn to Zappe, the team's 2022 fourth-round pick.

Jones completed three of six passes for just 13 yards before being replaced. He also tossed a brutal interception on his final drive before being pulled in favor of Zappe.

One-handed!@JaquanBrisker gets the INT. 🙌

📺: #CHIvsNE on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2HQeNdaFPc pic.twitter.com/4r3PeOsdHe

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2022

Zappe, who played the remainder of the game, made an instant impact in the New England offense, leading two consecutive touchdown drives, including a 30-yard pass to Jakobi Meyers for a score.

The two touchdowns put the Patriots up 14-10, but things went downhill for Belichick's squad from there. Zappe finished the game having completed 14 of 22 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

It's worth mentioning that Jones was playing his first game since suffering a high ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, he wasn't playing particularly well even before being sidelined.

Through New England's first three games, the Alabama product had completed 66 percent of his passes for 786 yards and two touchdowns against five interceptions. He also rushed for a score.

The Patriots went 1-2 in those games.

Jones appears to have taken a step backward from his rookie season in which he completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl selection.

If the 24-year-old doesn't show some improvement, Zappe could be in line to see more time as New England's starter.

Zappe has started two games this season and led the Patriots to wins over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. He completed 41 of 55 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns against one interception in those games.

The Western Kentucky product also played the majority of New England's overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 after Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown.

The 3-4 Patriots are set to face the 5-2 New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Belichick has yet to name a starting quarterback for the key AFC East matchup.

Following the New England Patriots' 33-14 home loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, head coach Bill Belichick refused to make a determination on the Pats' starting quarterback moving forward.

Belichick was asked if he planned to start 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones or rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe on Sunday against the New York Jets, and he made no commitments, saying, "We just finished the game."

Belichick also told The Greg Hill Show on WWEI 93.7 that he planned to play both Jones and Zappe regardless of the game's outcome.

Jones got the start Monday after missing the previous three games with a high ankle sprain, but after he struggled in three series of action, Belichick replaced him with Zappe and stuck with the rookie the rest of the way.

The Patriots went three-and-out twice under Jones, and he also threw an interception. He finished the game with 13 yards, no touchdowns and a pick on 3-of-6 passing, plus three carries for 24 yards.

Zappe gave the Pats an immediate spark, as he led two touchdown drives to put New England ahead 14-10 after entering the game when the Patriots trailed 10-0.

Included in that was a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, which awakened a Patriots crowd that had been chanting for Zappe for much of the game.

Zappe wasn't great after the Patriots took the lead, though, as the Bears reeled off 23 unanswered points. Overall, he completed 14 of 22 passing attempts for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Even so, Zappe has been the Patriots' best quarterback this season since taking over for the injured Brian Hoyer in Week 4.

In relief, Zappe nearly led the Patriots to a come-from-behind win over the Green Bay Packers that week before they fell in overtime. Then he started the next two games and led New England to a 29-0 shutout of the Detroit Lions and a 38-15 win against the Cleveland Browns.

Zappe is 2-0 as a starter, and he has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in four games.

Meanwhile, Jones is 1-3 as a starter and has completed 65.0 percent of his attempts for 799 yards, two touchdowns and six picks.

His performance has been a far cry from what he did as a rookie when he threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions en route to earning a Pro Bowl nod and leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth.

At 3-4, the Patriots look like the worst team in the AFC East. Regardless of who starts at quarterback next week, they are in grave danger of falling to an improved Jets team that has not enjoyed much success against New England over the past two decades.

The New England Patriots have been the gold standard of the NFL for the better part of two decades as a team known for their solid play on both offense and defense. However, those days appear to be in the past.

The Patriots were thoroughly outplayed in their 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium on Monday Night Football. New England was inept on offense and abysmal on defense, allowing a team that had struggled to start the season to dominate them in every facet of the game.

The most notable thing the Patriots did on Monday was bench starting quarterback Mac Jones in favor of rookie Bailey Zappe. The move initially looked brilliant when Zappe led New England to back-to-back touchdown drives, but the team wasn't able to sustain the momentum.

The Patriots were out-gained by the Bears 390-260. Chicago totaled 243 yards on the ground compared to New England's 70. It was a surprisingly lackluster showing from a Bill Belichick-coached team on its home field.

NFL Twitter unloaded on the Patriots for their ineptitude on Monday night:

Aside from a two minute stretch, the Bears have embarrassed the Patriots on both sides of the ball.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 25, 2022

Truly awful Patriots loss. Absolutely demolished on D. Coaching was abysmal on both sides. Starting rusty/limpy Mac at home was dumb. Just a debacle. Eberflus did a great job too.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) October 25, 2022

Bears — in every phase — have pulled a Belichick on Belichick. Patriots getting worked.

— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) October 25, 2022

Just thought about all 30 other teams in the NFL watching this and thinking “oh so the Patriots really stink”

— Football (@BostonConnr) October 25, 2022

This loss will be hard to overcome for the Patriots. A must win game that was penciled in as a win for a team who felt and looked like it could compete for a playoff spot after last weeks win

— Connor Clement (@connorclementtv) October 25, 2022

The Patriots have literally been outplayed in every facet of football tonight. Even the punter has been bad.

— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) October 25, 2022

The offensively inept Bears are going to beat the Patriots soundly.

Bizarre season.

— Joe Miller III (@joemillerwired) October 25, 2022

Patriots defense hasn't turned up. Pathetic showing.

— Wally (@paultwentworth) October 25, 2022

The Bears have had 9 offensive possessions. They have scored on 7 of them, including the last 5 in a row.

23 1st downs - already a season high.

Patriots defense getting cooked.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) October 25, 2022

Pathetic 3 quarters from the Patriots tbh

all phases

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) October 25, 2022

Third quarter possession breakdown...

Bears: 13 plays, 125 yards, 11:21 TOP

Patriots: 6 plays, 4 yards, 3:19 TOP

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) October 25, 2022

If they shut the clock off and just let this game continue, the patriots wouldn’t make a stop before the heat death of the universe. And Trent Brown would have infinity penalties

— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton1) October 25, 2022

Is it possible the Patriots just have zero quarterbacks?

— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) October 25, 2022

Truth be told. The Patriots don’t have a No. 1 quarterback right now.

— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) October 25, 2022

Bears take a knee in the red zone. Patriots just got mercy ruled in Gillette. Embarrassing.

— Wildes (@kevinwildes) October 25, 2022

Bears notched their...
- First win over the Patriots since 2000 (had lost 5 in a row)
- First win as a 7.5+ point road underdog since 2015 (had lost 13 in a row)
- First win as a primetime underdog since 2020 (had lost 9 in a row)
- First win since Sept. 25 (had lost 3 in a row)

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 25, 2022

New England reigned over the AFC East for years, but with Monday's loss, the team is now in last place and the only squad in the division without a winning record at 3-4. The Patriots are usually the picture of stability, but now they face questions at quarterback regarding whether it will be Jones or Zappe under center going forward.

It will be interesting to see how New England tries to bounce back when it returns to action on Sunday in a crucial division matchup against the New York Jets.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones' return from an ankle injury on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears quickly came to an end.

After Jones threw an interception early in the second quarter, he was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe.

One-handed!@JaquanBrisker gets the INT. 🙌

📺: #CHIvsNE on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2HQeNdaFPc pic.twitter.com/4r3PeOsdHe

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2022

Jones had missed each of the previous three games after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens. He threw for 13 yards on 3-of-6 passing before exiting Monday's game. Upon entering the game, Zappe led the Patriots to back-to-back touchdown drives.

As a rookie, Jones was a steady force under center for New England and was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. However, he's struggled a bit this year, with just two touchdowns and five interceptions before he went down with the ankle injury.

Zappe was thrust into action after veteran backup quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. He played admirably in his debut, but Green Bay won the game in overtime. In his next two starts, Zappe led New England to back-to-back wins over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.

Entering Monday, Zappe threw for 596 yards, four touchdowns and an interception while completing 72.9 percent of his passes. The fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky looked more and more comfortable each time he took the field, as his best game came last week with 309 yards and two scores against Cleveland.

At 3-3, the Patriots are hoping to avoid a loss on Monday that would set them back in the competitive AFC East, in which every other team has a winning record.

If Jaquan Brisker had revenge on his mind, it didn't take him long to execute it.

Mac Jones kicked the rookie safety in the groin as he slid feet-first at the end of a scramble, which caused Brisker to exit the game for a play. However, the Penn State product made an incredible one-handed interception just three plays after the kick:

"That's why D-line men don't like quarterbacks" pic.twitter.com/kJwlblmJvF

— Omaha Productions (@OmahaProd) October 25, 2022

One-handed!@JaquanBrisker gets the INT. 🙌

📺: #CHIvsNE on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2HQeNdaFPc pic.twitter.com/4r3PeOsdHe

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2022

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick apparently had seen enough because he put Bailey Zappe into the game for Jones on the team's ensuing offensive series. All Zappe did was throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers on his fourth play.

As for Brisker, he can be a bright spot for the 2-4 Bears if he continues to make plays like that interception.