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T
he New England Patriots have been one of the best franchises in the NFL for the past 20 years but now the team is struggling and fans are letting their voice be heard.
In Week 7, Patriots fans booed Mac Jones and cheered for Bailey Zappe to come onto the field. Fans in New England have been known to the boo the team in general when they don’t perform up to the standards of the fan base.
If any player knows how to deal with the fans, it’s Devin McCourty. The captain and safety has spent his entire 13-year career in New England.
Appearing on WEEI, McCourty called Patriots fans spoiled.
“I’ve been here a long time. I’ve been booed. We’ve been booed. Tom’s been booed,” said McCourty. “I understand as a veteran, we play in an area that’s very spoiled in what it expects from the team. When I got here, everything was about, ‘How do you win three Super Bowls?’ When you’re in the NFL for a while, you realize, we got that down, but that’s not a normal task at hand to say, ‘You’ve got to win three Super Bowls to be considered a good football team.’ I think it kind of is what is is, and overall, we’ve been really focused this week on trying to get a win.”
Will Patriots Fans be Happier After Week 8?
The road for New England doesn’t get any easier. The Patriots are headed on the road to face the New York Jets.
While in years past this would seem like an easy win, that isn’t the case anymore. The Jets are 5-2 and are the second-best team in the AFC East.
Their defense has been impressive led by Ahmed “Sauce” Gardner who was named AFC Week 7 Defensive Player of the Week. The rookie has already amassed 33 tackles and has snagged an interception per Pro Football Reference.
The Patriots will have some clarity heading into their matchup against the Jets. Jones will be starting under center and hopefully that means he can lead New England to a much-needed win.
Jones, 24, is in his second NFL season. He has completed 65 percent of his passes for 799 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions in four games per Pro Football Reference.
Is Jones Healthy Enough to Start?
While Jones was named he starter for this week, an injury concern could have his status in jeopardy.
Mike Giardi from the NFL Network was told that Jones is dealing with some numbness in his toes due to his severe high ankle sprain.
“Per source, #Patriots QB Mac Jones is dealing with numbness in the toes on his left foot as he continues to recover from the left ankle injury that sidelined him for 3 weeks,” Giardi tweeted. “It didn’t impact Mac’s on-field prep for the #Jets but keep an eye on it. #Bears noticed some favoring.”
If Jones is unable to play, Zappe will once again be under center for New England. The Patriots rookie quarterback has impressed at times this season with two starts under his belt. Zappe has thrown for over 700 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions per Pro Football Reference.