New England Patriots’ Mac Jones benched vs New York Giants, Bailley Zappe in as quarterback
The New England Patriots maintained Mac Jones as their starting quarterback for the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants. However, the former first-round draft pick’s time on the field was limited to just two quarters. As the teams emerged from halftime, Jones was replaced by Bailey Zappe. This marks the fourth occasion this…
The New England Patriots maintained Mac Jones as their starting quarterback for the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants. However, the former first-round draft pick’s time on the field was limited to just two quarters. As the teams emerged from halftime, Jones was replaced by Bailey Zappe.
This marks the fourth occasion this season, and the second consecutive game, in which Jones has been benched in favor of his backup. In contrast to the prior instances, this benching occurred while the game was still closely contested, with New England trailing 7-0.
Jones exits the game after completing 12 of 21 pass attempts for 89 yards and two interceptions. The first interception resulted from an overthrow intended for wide receiver Demario Douglas, while the second, returned 55 yards to the New England 26-yard line to set up the game’s first touchdown, occurred due to another ill-fated decision under pressure.
This latest benching of Jones adds another disappointing chapter to his season, marked by inconsistency and, notably, issues with ball security. Jones’ 12 interceptions, just one shy of the league lead, have played a significant role in New England’s challenging 2-8 start and cast doubt on his future as a viable short- and long-term quarterback option.
It’s worth noting that Bailey Zappe has not performed markedly better. In his first three games as a replacement, he completed just 10 of 25 attempts for 104 yards and one interception.
