Patriots Rumors: New Details On QB Decision For Giants Game

News broke late Saturday night that Mac Jones had held off Bailey Zappe and would start Sunday for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants.

On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Mike Reiss shared additional intel on the pair’s battle behind the scenes this week.

Zappe, per Reiss’ sources, endured one particularly rough practice as the Patriots prepared for their Week 12 matchup at MetLife Stadium.

From ESPN:

Sources said practice repetitions had been split about 50-50 between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, with Jones usually getting the initial nod. The complexity of the Giants’ blitz schemes under coordinator Wink Martindale, and Jones’ aptitude at sorting through them, led some in the locker room to believe Jones had the edge. One recent practice in which the defense recorded multiple interceptions against Zappe contributed to another player believing Jones would ultimately be the choice. Will Grier won’t be an option Sunday, since the Patriots waived the third-string quarterback on Saturday.

The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan was the first to report Jones would start against New York. A subsequent report, however, indicated the Patriots could be planning some sort of QB rotation.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported Zappe was “likely to be in the mix, as well.”

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in East Rutherford, N.J.