Bailey Zappe has done a good job keeping the seat warm with Mac Jones out.
Bill Belichick has no desire to discuss that potentially creating a quarterback controversy.
That would be far-fetched in the first place. Jones clearly is the quarterback the Patriots are trying to build around long-term, and the only reason he isn’t playing right now is because of health, not performance.
And, after all, putting up 29 points on a Lions defense that has given up at least 27 every game isn’t exactly an indication that Zappe is ready to be a full-time starter.
Nevertheless, such discussion of a potential QB controversy always seems to exist when a backup plays well. Asked in his weekly appearance on the “Greg Hill Show” if there’s a scenario where Zappe plays over a fully-healthy Jones, Belichick didn’t entertain the notion.
“Yeah, I’m not going to get into a lot of hypotheticals on all the different things that might or might not happen and all that," Belichick said. "That's just, to me, a waste of time. I’m not going to sit around here and dream up scenarios and all that. We’ll take things as they come and go from there.
“Obviously, Mac wasn’t active yesterday, so it wasn’t any part of any decision yesterday.”
Ultimately, Zappe probably is going to have to play at a decent level for a more sustained period of time in order for him unseating Jones to even be a blip on the radar. Stranger things have happened, but for now it’s likely more fodder for debate than a serious consideration.
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