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Respected Boston Globe reporter Ben Volin found himself in hot water this week after he reported during a segment on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show that New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had an attitude problem and that people within the organization weren’t fond of him.
Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an issue. As a matter of fact, it might have been one of the juiciest pieces of news we’ve heard about the Patriots in years. Unfortunately for Volin, the information he received turned out to be bogus, and it originated from a troll whose sole purpose was to deceive Volin.
How the Bogus Mac Jones Report Was Shared and Exposed
Here is the segment from The Greg Hill Show where Volin discussed what he’d been sent via Twitter direct message from someone he believed knew of the team’s quarterback situation.
Here’s a bit more from our conversation with @BenVolin and sharing that “someone that would know” messaged him directly about the Patriots unhappiness with Mac Jones attitude. #Patriots #ForeverNE
Unfortunately, a fan tweeted to Feitelberg at Barstool saying he made up the whole scenario and was just trying to see if Volin “was really this stupid.” The fan said, “I cannot believe he ran with it.”
@FeitsBarstool Yeah I did. I made it up to see if he was really this stupid and I cannot believe he ran with it.
Once the news circulated, revealing the bogusness of Volin’s report, the reporter was forced to apologize for his judgment error.
Hey everybody, just want to acknowledge that I made a mistake Wednesday on @WEEI. I should have not spoken of the DM without vetting it first. No excuses, It won’t happen again. I appreciate the feedback and comments I’ve received.
The Patriots’ suddenly eventful 2022 season now rolls into Week 7, where an important Week 7 Monday night matchup with the Chicago Bears is next on the docket.
Who Will Start at QB For the Patriots?
Jones was a limited participant at practice on Friday for the second consecutive day. However, all indications are that he will return to the starting lineup against the Bears, despite the strong play from rookie Bailey Zappe in Jones’ absence.
Zappe led the team to a 2-0 record in his two starts and nearly helped engineer a comeback win on the road against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
While Jones may be back as the starter, it is tough to imagine his grip on the starting spot will be as tight after Zappe proved himself capable of captaining some wins for the Patriots.
Jones threw 2 TD passes and five interceptions in his three-plus games as the starter, and the Patriots were just 1-3. With Zappe under center, the entire team has seemingly performed better.
The Patriots have outscored the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns by a combined score of 67-15. It’s true neither the Lions nor Browns are good teams, so it is possible Zappe’s performance was more about the Patriots’ strength of competition than his potential superiority over Jones.
That’s why Jones’ likely return against the Bears is so important. If he performs well and the Patriots continue on the winning path, any quarterback controversy talk will go by the boards.
On the flip side, a Patriots loss–especially if it can be tied to Jones’ play in any way–will empower Zappe backers, and they will call for the rookie to return to the lineup. In fact, don’t be surprised if the Patriots turn to Zappe at halftime if Jones and the New England offense struggle in the first half.
If Zappe comes into the game and rallies the Patriots back into contention or even helps them win it, Jones will have a real problem holding onto his starting job. Monday night should be fun.
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Patriots Writer Forced to Apologize For Bogus Mac Jones Report