Why Bill Belichick Thought Bailey Zappe Was Ready For Final Drive

Mac Jones deserved to be benched on Sunday. His late-game interception in the Patriots’ 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was inexcusable.

But was turning to Bailey Zappe for the final drive in Frankfurt, Germany, really the right call? Was inserting a cold Zappe really a better option than sticking with Jones who, if nothing else, has one game-winning drive on his résumé?

It’s debatable, especially when you consider Zappe threw his own mind-numbing pick to end the game. However, during his Monday morning WEEI appearance, Bill Belichick stood by his decision when asked whether Zappe was prepared for the opportunity.

“Yeah,” the Patriots head coach said. “We’ve worked the two-minute drill, he’s gotten a lot of opportunities on that and he’s actually done pretty well at it.”

Fair enough.

How the Patriots handle their quarterback situation going forward remains to be seen. Jones probably doesn’t deserve to start another game, but New England’s other options might not be any better.

Predictably, Belichick didn’t offer any clues during his Monday morning video conference.

“Yeah, we just got back from Germany,” he said when asked about the plan at quarterback. “… We’ll look at everything across the board.”

The Patriots will enjoy their bye this week before returning Nov. 26 when they visit the lowly New York Giants.