NFL

Kadlick: The Way Bill Belichick Is Handling the Patriots Quarterback Position is Coaching Malpractice

This is not an overstatement, and this is not just a media conjugated *bleep* storm for clicks.

The way Bill Belichick is handling Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and the Patriots quarterback position with his offense is a complete and utter disaster.

After three sub-par drives from Mac Jones on Monday night coach Belichick decided to pull him from the game, turning to rookie QB Bailey Zappe to finish the job.

According to Belichick, Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe, this was apparently all a part of the plan. However, it seems like they were the only ones that knew of said plan:

“No. We weren’t aware,” said running back Rhamondre Stevenson when asked if he knew that both quarterbacks were going to play on Monday.

“Not necessarily,” was wide receiver Jakobi Meyers answer on if he knew about the QB platoon. He added, “I would say it’s a shock, but we don’t really have time to focus on it too much.”
“I didn’t expect that… I didn’t know who was playing or who was starting.” said guard Mike Onwenu.
Belichick tried to clear up the disconnect between the players and the QB decision on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Tuesday morning, saying that he spoke to both QBs and “leaders of the team”, and that “everybody knew what the plan was…well not everybody.”
This is coaching malpractice to the highest degree. The entire unit not knowing the plan at signal caller is completely detrimental to how an offense will run, and almost certainly had an impact on the measly 14 points they put up on Monday night.
On top of this, Belichick sent Bailey Zappe to the podium before himself. A complete slap in the face to a rookie who has shown nothing but class throughout this entire process. Naturally, Zappe handled himself with said class after the game:

“My job was to go in there and get the ball to my playmakers. I need to do a better job of that going into next week… I prepare like I have every other week, and if that decision was made for me to go in, then I was going to go out there and do the best for my team.”

Mac Jones, who I guarantee will never forget the way he was treated by both Bill Belichick and the fans at Gillette Stadium on Monday night, was a consummate professional after the game as well:

“I think I’m always going to be a good team player. I did that at Alabama when I waited my turn, and I did it in high school. I did it in Pop Warner. I know I’m a good teammate, and that’s one of the things that I pride myself on the most. Whether I’m in the game or not, I try to be a good teammate. We have a lot of good players on this team, and obviously, tonight we didn’t play our best. Like you said, there’s always a chance to turn around. I think you look in the past, and really good teams, they don’t just climb all the way up to the top. There’s a little bit of a mountain that you have to go up, and you might have to stop or go down to get some air, but you better be able to shoot back up. That’s my plan, and that’s our plan. I know we’re going to be able to do it.”

Maybe if coach Belichick acted the way his quarterbacks did, they’d be in better shape than they are today. It’s time for Bill to look in the mirror and make a decision about his now failing quarterback room. All of this dancing around who might play is not good for either players psyche, and it is most certainly not “what is best for the football team”.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!

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Mike Kadlick

Mike is a Patriots reporter with experience in radio, podcasting, and writing. Follow him on Twitter @mikekadlick.

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