Reporters should know by now. No matter how many words Bill Belichick says, the sum total of what he’ll tell the media about his team won’t add up to a lot. The New England Patriots’ head coach gave a classic Belichick response when asked who will be the starting quarterback against the New York Giants in Week 12.
Belichick told reporters on Tuesday, November 21, “I’ve told everybody to be ready to go. … I’ve told every player to be ready to play,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Asked this morning who would be the Patriots’ starting QB on Sunday vs. the Giants, Bill Belichick said: “I’ve told everybody to be ready to go. … I’ve told every player to be ready to play.”
Once again, Belichick told us nothing. There’s still no answer about whether Mac Jones is benched in favor of Bailey Zappe. No answer about whether or not undrafted free agent Malik Cunningham will get onto the field at MetLife Stadium.
Common consensus is that Jones is finished in the starting role. Yet, given Belichick’s history of out-of-the-box thinking, would it really be beyond the 71-year-old to employ rotating quarterbacks against the Giants?
Bill Belichick’s Keeping Giants Guessing
You don’t need to be well-versed in Belichickean studies to guess what game the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach is playing. He’s keeping the Giants guessing about which signal-caller they will face, making it tougher for Big Blue to gameplan.
There’s some merit to this evasive strategy. Not least because defense is the strength of the 3-8 Giants.
A rugged unit feasted on the Washington Commanders in Week 11. The Giants logged four sacks and forced six turnovers, including this pick-six by linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
GIANTS GAME-SEALING PICK-6!
Their 6th takeaway of the game! #NYGvsWAS
Although the Giants showed pressure, they ultimately rushed four and still flushed quarterback Sam Howell out of the pocket. The four-man rush was a rarity, though, as defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale regularly relied on the blitz to wreck the Commanders.
A combination of sophisticated blitz schemes and individual talent up front, led by edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, should worry Belichick. The Patriots have surrendered 23 sacks, with Jones, Zappe and Cunningham all taking at least one.
Those are the best reasons for Belichick to keep Martindale guessing about which quarterback he should prepare to stop.
Is Bill Belichick Preparing Patriots for Collective QB Approach?
Belichick didn’t just double down on his “everybody needs to be ready” party line. He used some version of it 12 times during Tuesday’s press conference, according to NESN.com’s Zack Cox.
Bill Belichick used some variation of “everybody needs to be ready/prepared to go” 12 times in his morning presser when asked about the Patriots’ starting QB decision.
“I’ve told everybody to be ready to go. Hopefully, they will.”
Here’s the full transcript:
Is Belichick getting ready to play two or all three of his quarterbacks in the same game? Neither scenario would be a stretch for a coach who has used wide receivers in the secondary, defensive backs on offense and even let his quarterbacks kick.
Belichick has a lengthy history of going against the grain. He’s also a student of NFL history. He’ll know rotating quarterbacks have been used before, with Tom Landry notably employing the tactic for the Dallas Cowboys in 1971
The Patriots could go the same way, even after Belichick benched Jones for Zappe ahead of the decisive drive against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10. Zappe promptly threw an interception to end the game, so it’s not as if he would take the reins as an obvious upgrade over Jones, even though the latter has “lost the locker room,” according to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.
Smart money should still be on Zappe getting the nod, if only because Jones has taken the majority of snaps through most of the Pats’ dismal 2-8 start. Yet, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Belichick find a way to work another QB into the offense in certain situations against the Giants.
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Bill Belichick Gives Classic Response About Patriots’ Starting QB vs. Giants