Getty New England Patriots, Bill Belichick
After further review, it appears New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick might have missed an opportunity to challenge one of the biggest plays in his team’s humbling 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
Mac Jones returned to the Patriots’ starting lineup for the first time since he suffered a high ankle sprain in New England’s Week 4 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately for Jones, his return to the lineup didn’t last long.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick pulled him after just three series. Jones couldn’t manage to get a first down on New England’s first two possessions, and then he threw a seemingly egregious interception on the team’s third drive while the Patriots were finally moving the ball.
Belichick pulled Jones after the pick while fans at Gillette Stadium chanted for the legendary coach to put rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe in the game. Zappe led the Patriots to a two-game win streak when he started in place of Jones and injured veteran Brian Hoyer.
Zappe Fever ran wild in Foxborough after the rookie led the Patriots on back-to-back scoring drives, taking the lead in the game, 14-10. The goodwill toward Zappe didn’t last long as the offense sputtered, and the defense failed to stop the Bears’ ground-centric attack.
The final result was ugly, but you could argue that the biggest play of the game was Jones’ interception. What if we told and showed you that the interception probably shouldn’t have counted and that the down was supposed to be played over?
Well, thanks to this video submitted by a Buffalo Bills fan (of all people), Jones’ pass–which was spectacularly picked off by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker) actually, hit the sky-cam wire first.
As you’ll see from the video, the ball’s trajectory changed. Brisker adjusted in the air for a one-handed interception. If Belichick and his staff had noticed the pass hitting the wire, they could have challenged it. If the replay was conclusive and the officials ruled in favor of Belichick’s challenge, New England would have had to play the down over. Here is a look at the video:
Is it just me or did Mac Jones’ INT hit the line that the sky cam is attached to? Wasn’t underthrown by much. This HAD to affect it. Sorry baht it. #Patriots
If Jones gets that do-over, perhaps he doesn’t get pulled and finds himself after a relatively slow start to the game.
Would the Review Have Changed the Patriots’ Bottom Line?
Jones didn’t look good throwing the ball on Monday night. Surprisingly, Jones’ best plays of the came on scrambles for extra yards. In fact, Jones scrambled for 24 yards which was good enough for the sedond-highest total on the team.
New England was struggling to establish the run, but most of all, the Patriots’ defense was manhandled by an increasingly respected Bears run game.
With the Bears’ Justin Fields having his best game as a pro being the epitome of a dual-threat, New England probably loses this game even if Jones’ interception is called back.
Tackling the Patriots’ Real Issue
Belichick has created a tough situation for his two quarterbacks and the rest of the team. Belichick refused to name a starter for the Week 7 matchup with the New York Jets. The secrecy game has suited Belichick over the years, but this time he might be getting bitten by the confusion bug that his non-committal approach creates.
Jones’ confidence might be shattered, and Zappe isn’t in the best position to prepare and to be ready if his number is called in the next few games.
Belichick may not make a lot of mistakes, but he seems to have made a few this week.