AFC East

"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.

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.

The New York Jets acted quickly to replace Breece Hall, and it should be good news for fantasy football managers with James Robinson on their squad.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Hall suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Denver Broncos. Hours later, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported New York is getting Robinson for draft compensation.

Schefter later reported that the Jags acquired a conditional sixth-round pick in 2023 that could be upgraded to a fifth if Robinson rushes for 600 yards this season. The running back needs just 260 more yards to hit that mark.

Week 3 was the high-water mark for Robinson so far. He carved the Los Angeles Chargers up for 100 yards and a score on 17 carries.

In his next three games, the third-year running back had 110 rushing yards on 30 carries. Just as concerning, he was on the field for fewer than 50 percent of the Jaguars' offensive snaps.

In Sunday's 23-17 loss to the New York Giants, Robinson failed to have a single carry, though head coach Doug Pederson said that was due to some minor injuries.

As Robinson's stock began to slide, Travis Etienne Jr.'s soared. Etienne generated 341 total yards and one touchdown in the Jags' last three games.

For Robinson, the trend almost certainly wasn't going to reverse as long as he remained in Jacksonville. Now, he's entering a backfield where Michael Carter is his toughest competition.

One could read the Jets' decision to select Hall in the second round of the 2022 draft as an indictment of Carter, who finished with 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2021. His performance in 2022 (228 yards, two touchdowns and 3.5 yards per carry) hasn't been much better.

New York head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas presumably wouldn't have moved for Robinson so quickly if they only saw him as the backup to Carter.

Granted, there are good reasons to remain cautiously optimistic about the 24-year-old.

He hasn't offered as much as a receiver (nine receptions, 46 yards, one touchdown) compared to Hall (19 receptions, 218 yards, one touchdown). Pederson's comments about Robinson's "lower body issues" are a little worrying as well after tearing his Achilles just 10 months ago.

From a fantasy perspective, Carter gets a slight edge over Robinson for now. He's a better pass-catcher (56 receptions for 476 yards in 21 games) with the added advantage of obviously knowing the offense.

Coming off the Jets' Week 10 bye, the dynamic might shift a bit since Robinson will have had more time to learn the playbook and find his fit.

If you have him on your roster, you might be looking at a few lean weeks. However, Robinson's long-term outlook is at least better now than it was before.

In the wake of a season-ending injury to star rookie running back Breece Hall, the New York Jets reportedly made a swift move to fortify their backfield.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Jets are set to acquire running back James Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars for draft pick compensation. Connor Hughes of SNY reported that Jacksonville will receive a sixth-round pick that can become a fifth-rounder. ESPN's Adam Schefter added that it would be a fifth-round pick if Robinson rushes for 600 yards this season.

Hall's promising rookie season ended when he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus injury in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Denver Broncos. The 21-year-old was electrifying in seven games, rushing for 463 yards and four touchdowns with 19 catches for 218 yards and another score. His 681 scrimmage yards rank seventh in the NFL.

Robinson made a name for himself as a rookie in 2020 when he ran for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns. His 1,414 yards from scrimmage marked a record for an undrafted player. The 24-year-old had a strong showing last year before he tore his Achilles against the Jets in December.

This season, Robinson has split carries with second-year running back Travis Etienne Jr. He rushed for 340 yards and three touchdowns on 81 carries in seven games, reaching 100 yards once, in a Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He carried the ball 12 times or fewer in each of the next four games, including Sunday against the New York Giants when he didn't register a carry despite being active for the game.

Robinson is expected to pair with second-year running back Michael Carter. The Jets typically employed Hall and Carter in two-back sets, but Hall quickly established himself as the No. 1 option. While Robinson is likely to play behind Carter early on, it appears he will have the opportunity to fill Hall's role.

The Jets are one of the surprises of the season with a 5-2 record, but the injury to Hall was a major blow and was coupled with a season-ending torn triceps for standout offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.

The Jets will go for their fifth straight victory when they host the New England Patriots on Sunday.

It appears as if the New York Jets will have wide receiver Elijah Moore for their Week 8 game against the rival New England Patriots.

Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Moore was back with the team Monday and will likely be active for the game.

The Ole Miss product did not play in Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he requested a trade because he was "frustrated with his role and usage."

Saleh told reporters ahead of the Broncos game that the team did not plan to trade the wide receiver and the request was "part of what we deal with every day."

The Jets defeated the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 to improve to 4-2, but Moore did not seem pleased in the aftermath of a game that saw him finish with zero targets.

He tweeted the following: "If I say what I really wanna say...I'll be the selfish guy...we winning. Grateful! Huge blessing! All I ever wanted. Butter sweet for me em but I'll be solid. So I'll just stay quiet. Just know I don't understand either."

Yet New York did not trade him and needs all the offensive firepower it can get after running back Breece Hall was lost for the season to a torn ACL and meniscus injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jets have relied on a strong defense and the rushing attack during their four-game winning streak but may need to change their strategy without their breakout rookie in the backfield. Garrett Wilson (four catches for 24 yards) and Braxton Berrios (three catches for 15 yards) were the leading producers from the wide receiver spot during the win over Denver, and they did not put up impressive numbers.

Moore has 16 catches for 203 yards and zero touchdowns on the season and showed flashes of his potential as a rookie in 2021 on his way to 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns.

New York is staring at a critical stretch with its next three games against AFC East foes in the Patriots (twice) and Buffalo Bills, and finding a way to make up for the lost production of Hall will be all the more important.

Perhaps Moore can help it do just that while putting his trade request behind him as the season progresses.

Breece Hall's rookie season has come to a premature end after he suffered a torn ACL in the New York Jets' 16-9 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter reported the running back has a minor meniscus injury as well.

Hall made an immediate impact on the Jets offense. Through the team's first seven games, he ran for 463 yards and four touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 218 yards and one score.

The 2022 second-round pick scored New York's only touchdown against Denver, getting loose for a 62-yard run in the second quarter.

Now, the Jets are left to hope the Iowa State product can pick right up from where he left off in 2023.

In the short term, his injury might force the front office to act since the team is on track to earn a wild-card bid at 5-2.

Michael Carter is poised to take over as the primary ball-carrier now. He hasn't gone above and beyond in his second season with 228 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry.

That the Jets selected Hall one year after using a fourth-round pick on Carter seemed to send a message about where the organization stood on the North Carolina product.

The NFL trade deadline will pass at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 1. Until then, there's still time for general manager Joe Douglas to pursue all of his options to fortify the backfield.

Rich Cimini of ESPN speculated the Cleveland Browns' Kareem Hunt might be a target. It's no secret the Los Angeles Rams are looking to offload Cam Akers, too.

With New York in a good position early on to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010, it feels inevitable that Douglas will do something.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his return from a two-game absence against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football and injected some much-needed energy into the team.

With Tagovailoa leading the way, the Dolphins defeated the Steelers 16-10 at Hard Rock Stadium. The victory ends a three-game losing streak for Miami.

Tagovailoa was solid in his return, throwing for 261 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-35 passing. In his first game since suffering a scary concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 24-year-old showed no fear and even tucked the ball a few times to pick up 15 yards on the ground.

Sunday's game was a gritty one, as is any contest against Pittsburgh, but Tagovailoa was up to the challenge. Even with some questionable passes that could've turned into interceptions, he didn't let his previous injury slow him in any way.

NFL Twitter was impressed with Tagovailoa for the toughness he showed against the Steelers:

Prior to his prolonged absence, Tagovailoa had led Miami to a 3-0 start to the season, including a win over the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills. The Alabama product is clearly the difference-maker for the Dolphins and could help the team contend for a playoff spot this season.

Miami will look to build on the momentum from this week when they travel to face the Detroit Lions next Sunday.