Peyton Manning doesn’t think that Bill Belichick handled the Patriots’ quarterback situation well Monday night.
The all-time great questioned Belichick’s decision to pull Mac Jones following his third series in real time.
“He’s not happy about it and I understand it,” said Manning. “That’s a hard way to play quarterback, if you’re hesitant to make a play, knowing you’re gonna come out. That’s tough. My guess is that he didn’t know that was the deal. They have confidence in Zappe. He’s made some good decisions.”
The Patriots went 3-and-out in their first two possessions, bringing out some early boos from the antsy crowd at Gillette. They moved the ball a little bit in their third drive — thanks to a couple of QB scrambles — before Jones threw a pass falling backwards that was picked off by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
It was a bad throw, but also a good read from Brisker.
“Look, he had some turnovers early. That’s a pretty quick hook,” said Manning. “That’s a pretty athletic play by their safety.”
Bailey Zappe immediately ignited the Patriots, leading them on two straight touchdown drives that only took seven plays. But the Zappe Magic didn’t last for long: the fourth-round rookie turned the ball over three times.
Yet, Jones never saw the field again, despite Belichick telling ESPN’s Lisa Salters the 2021 first-round pick was going to play in the second half. Earlier in the night, Manning revealed the Patriots didn't permit him to speak with either QB.
“I hate that for a quarterback, to throw an interception -- we’ve all thrown them. You don’t usually come out in the second quarter after that,” said Manning.
Belichick rightfully receives credit for his unorthodox decisions when they work out. But this one didn’t.
Manning, who knows a little something about the art of quarterbacking, never bought into Belichick’s failed Machiavellian scheme.