'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mac Jones has plenty to think about during the New England Patriots bye week.
On Sunday, the erstwhile-dominant Foxboro-based team suffered one of its saddest losses in recent memory – a 10-6 disaster against the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany. Their quarterback play was especially poor with no touchdowns against two interceptions.
After the first of those picks, the one-time Pro Bowler was benched for Bailey Zappe, who did not perform any better. Since then, calls to bench him may have grown louder and stronger with each defeat, but so far head coach Bill Belichick is refusing to delve deeper into the subject. He said on Tuesday:
"We have a lot of things to work on this week as a team. We'll work through those. That is what we are going to do this week."
Jones himself is also still unsure about his status for Week 12. Also on Tuesday, he told "The Jones and Mego Show" on Boston-based radio station WEEI:
“No, we haven’t talked about that. Really just, today we watched the game film and kinda talked about the plans for the bye week. We have practice tomorrow so. Just see how it goes there and the bye weeks a great time to work on things that you can do better so, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Insider thinks Mac Jones may be demoted to third-string
But if another Insider is asked, the Mac Jones era may be over soon, and he may find himself at the bottom of the positional depth chart.
On Tuesday, NBC Sports Boston reporter Tom Curran visited Rich Eisen's eponymous show to discuss the New England Patriots' potential future quarterback hierarchy. He claimed that the embattled starter might become a glorified practice player:
"Mac Jones is going to almost certainly sit. I think he'll probably be dropped down to third-string. You're gonna elevate Will Grier and you're gonna elevate the player that took the final snaps the other day...Bailey Zappe.
"If I was a betting man, and I don't have any intel on this, but Will Grier gets the reps to be the starter, and if he fails in that, then Zappe would start and Grier would be No. 2 and you proceed through the end of the year and try to maintain the culture."
The Patriots return to action at the New York Giants on Nov. 26.
