Getty New England Patriots, Mac Jones
In almost every work environment, going over your superior’s head to complain will, at the very least, get you a mean case of side-eye. In some more extreme cases, it might indirectly cost someone their job.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is now being accused of breaking this unwritten rule by former NFL quarterback and current football insider Chris Simms, who had this to say on his Unbuttoned podcast on Wednesday, October 26.
“There’s something going on in New England. He’s p***** them [the coaches] off. It’s a real thing. He’s p***** them off. Whether he talked s*** about them to the Krafts or Belichick. There’s an issue there.”
A similar report came from the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin on October 19, but as it turned out, the information originated from bogus intel and a Twitter user trying to make a fool of the veteran beat reporter.
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.
Simms claims there is some inner turmoil and that he and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio are aware of the rift.
Simms even insinuates the Patriots are potentially sabotaging Jones by calling plays that are doomed to fail to make the second-year quarterback loo bad.
“There’s a part of me that is like, ‘Oh, they called those plays for Mac, then they put [Bailey] Zappe in and called those? Were they setting it up for failure?” Simms said.
You can hear the entire episode here. The section on the Patriots’ quarterback situation begins at the 40-minute mark.
Who’s Next for the New England Patriots?
The Patriots take on the New York Jets in a game that feels like a must-win contest. New England sits in last place in the AFC East at 3-4, while the surprising Jets are 5-2 and looking like the only legitimate threats to the Buffalo Bills in the division.
If the Patriots hope to change that narrative, they will need a great game from Jones.
He will go against a young and talented Jets secondary with a leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Sauce Gardner. On the season, the Jets defense is surrendering the 10th-fewest yards per game (314.7) through seven weeks.
Gardner and company will be looking to continue Jones’ woes by adding to his growing interception total. Ahead of the Week 8 clash, Jones has thrown 2 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions.
While the early reports suggest Jones will return to the starting lineup against the Jets, you have to wonder if there is any way Bailey Zappe’s number could be called again.
What Would it Take to See Bailey Zappe Again?
If Jones is horrendous in the first half against the Jets (multiple-interceptions-three-or-less-points-on-the-scoreboard bad), Belichick would almost have to take another look at Zappe, right?
Zappe didn’t look great on Monday night against the Bears in Week 7, but he wasn’t exactly prepared to perform well in the game. At some point, Belichick will have to commit to one of these guys for the rest of the season.
If he doesn’t, it will be a long, playoff-less ride for the Patriots in 2022. Who knows, they might even find themselves looking to draft a quarterback again this spring.