Everybody seems to have an opinion on how the New England Patriots handled their quarterback situation Monday night, including one former player who pointed the blame at Bill Belichick.
The Patriots entered their “Monday Night Football” matchup with the Chicago Bears having a decision to make at quarterback. Either they could hand the reigns back over to Mac Jones or ride the hot hand and continue to start rookie Bailey Zappe. Or, they could play both, which is what they decided to do.
Jones and Zappe each got some run, with the second-year signal caller returning to the starting lineup following a three-week absence. After Jones struggled to move the ball — throwing a (possibly interfered with) interception before being shown the bench — Zappe came in and electrified the Gillette Stadium crowd before promptly turning the ball over a couple times, leading a whimpering Patriots offense to the finish line.
The decision to play both players has been called into question by many, with Belichick shouldering the blame for the odd decision. Given their sour relationship, former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel decided to get in on the action.
“Belichick is starting to show you he is an average coach without (Tom) Brady,” Samuel tweeted Tuesday.
Samuel has a long history of slamming Belichick, calling his former coaches legacy into question and making it clear he believes Brady deserves the credit for New England’s dynastic run throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
While the debate about who deserves more credit between Brady and Belichick will continue to rage on, and the Patriots coach will continue to be questioned regarding New England’s QB controversy, only one thing is for certain: Both Samuel and Belichick would each have one more Super Bowl ring, and an undefeated season, could the former All-Pro hang onto a certain interception.
