Has Bill Belichick lost faith in Mac Jones? Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry and Ted Johnson discuss on Postgame Live
At the end of another failed drive for the New England Patriots on Sunday, quarterback Mac Jones returned to the sideline to debrief with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. O'Brien, caught on camera, was visibly frustrated with the quarterback, screaming and pointing at the game tablet in Jones' hand.
The verbal altercation came late in the third quarter of the Patriots' Week 10 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. About five seconds after the snap, Jones was sacked for the fifth time, struggling to make a read in time. Looking at a video replay, running back Rhamondre Stevenson was wide open to his left, with receiver Demario Douglas wide open in the middle of the field, as well. The drive ended on a missed 35-yard field goal from rookie kicker Chad Ryland.
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Jones is in the midst of a career-worst year, entering Sunday with 1,861 yards on a 64.8 completion percentage for 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions though the first nine weeks of the season.
His performance against the Colts in Week 10 was arguably one of his worst yet. Throwing for only 170 yards, Jones once again failed to find the end zone. Instead, he added another interception to his resume to make him the NFL's leader in interceptions. His pick was thrown during a crucial drive late in the fourth quarter in the red zone, where a touchdown would have given New England the lead.
After the failed drive that ended with an interception, the Patriots finished the game with Bailey Zappe at quarterback. Down 10-6, Zappe entered the game with just shy of two minutes remining, entrusted to help march the Patriots down the field and secure the win. The drive looked good to start, but also resulted in an interception that sealed New England's 10-6 loss.
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Now 2-8, the Patriots' odds of obtaining the number one draft pick rises. With the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix Jr., the Patriots will have a wide selection of prospects to choose from to replace Mac Jones next season should they choose to go in that direction.
