Category: Mac Jones

Bailey Zappe era over? Mac Jones reportedly has ‘decent’ chance to start vs Browns

Mac Jones reportedly has a ‘decent’ chance to start against the Browns on Sunday

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has a shot to play this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Jones has been out since New England’s game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Bailey Zappe has filled in at the quarterback position and put together a strong performance against the Detroit Lions last week. He went 17-of-21 on the afternoon, throwing for 188 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

It appears as though Jones may be ready to play in the near future, per Fowler. With an easier part of the schedule coming up for New England, this could be a good opportunity for Jones to get back into the swing of things.

Fowler wrote:

“One source classified his chances as “decent” but much depends on how the week of practice goes, and doctors will likely be involved in the decision. I’m told Jones has progressed each week and even made last week’s decision to go with Bailey Zappe interesting. Jones is dealing with a high ankle sprain but appears to have avoided long-term issues or the need for immediate surgery. If Jones is healthy, I expect him to be the quarterback, even though the Zappe Hour is a great story that might not last long.”

New England is set to take on the Browns on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, as the Patriots look to win their second game in a row.

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Report: Patriots holding out hope Mac Jones can play vs. Lions

The Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones can play on Sunday.

The New England Patriots are still hoping quarterback Mac Jones can play on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

The Patriots listed the quarterback as doubtful for Sunday’s contest. However, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe had some intel in a recent column that could suggest otherwise.

Jones has been dealing with a high ankle sprain since New England’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe stepped in last Sunday, following the injury to backup quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Zappe is still expected to start Sunday, according to Howe. However, Jones has been making progress. He was on the practice field with New England this week, but he was limited during the course of the practice. There is a small chance he could return on Sunday.

Howe wrote:

“While rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe is expected to be in line for his first career start, the Patriots are holding out hope that Mac Jones might actually be able to return Sunday against the Lions.

“Jones is listed as doubtful, a reflection of the player and team wanting to see how he feels Saturday as he continues to respond well to treatment, a source told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.”

New England will need a spark from the quarterback position, regardless of who is under center. The Patriots are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak, as they take on a Lions team hungry for a win of their own.

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Mac Jones doubtful for Week 5, Bailey Zappe expected to start vs Lions

Mac Jones listed as doubtful for Week 5, Bailey Zappe expected to make his first NFL start

The New England Patriots have listed quarterback Mac Jones as doubtful for Week 5, which means rookie Bailey Zappe is expected to make his first NFL start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Jones is making a push to play and was even upgraded as a limited participant at practice this week, but he might still need time to recover from the high ankle sprain he suffered in the team’s Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Backup Brian Hoyer got the start against the Green Bay Packers last week, but he was knocked out in the first quarter with a head injury. He was then placed on injured reserve with a concussion on Thursday.

So that leaves Zappe as the starter and newly-signed quarterback Garrett Gilbert as the top backup for the Patriots.

Zappe threw for 99 yards and one touchdown and nearly knocked off the Packers in his NFL debut. Now, the team will actually have time to create a game plan around him as the starter.

It’ll be no picnic with the Lions’ No. 1-ranked scoring offense coming to town for a visit. The rookie might have to fight fire with fire to escape with a victory.

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How did Mac Jones look at practice on Wednesday?

How did Mac Jones look on the practice field?

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was under the microscope the moment he stepped onto the practice field on Wednesday.

He threw the ball around last Friday but was ultimately listed as a “did not practice” ahead of the Patriots’ road trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.

With all of the “day-by-day” talk, there’s still hope that Jones will be ready to return sooner rather than later. He had a noticeable limp when walking around the field on Wednesday, but he reportedly looked “considerably better” than he did last week.

You be the judge.

The Patriots haven’t ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, but it still seems to be a stretch to think he’d be ready to return from a high ankle sprain that soon.

That means it’ll likely be more of Brian Hoyer or even Bailey Zappe taking snaps under center.

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Patriots rule out Mac Jones for Sunday’s game against Packers

Mac Jones has been ruled out for Sunday’s game

The New England Patriots have officially ruled quarterback Mac Jones out for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

There was a long-shot hope that he’d play, but it was always likely that backup quarterback Brian Hoyer would be the starter for the Patriots in Week 4. Jones is on the mend for what was deemed a “severe” high ankle sprain.

However, the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian wrote that the injury didn’t appear to be as bad as initially thought.

“The reported severity of Jones’ high ankle sprain appears to have been overstated.”

Jones returned to the practice field for the part that was open to the media on Friday. He could be seen throwing the ball around with his injured ankle heavily taped.

However, on the official injury report released by the team, he was listed as a “did not practice.”

The fact that he was back on the field should at least give some hope that his return will be sooner rather than later. But a daunting task lies ahead for the Patriots when facing legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at Lambeau Field.

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Patriots QB Mac Jones returns to practice ahead of Week 4 meeting with Packers

Guess who’s back?

The New England Patriots can breathe a little bit easier with quarterback Mac Jones appearing on the practice field for the first time since suffering that ugly ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens.

There has been talk throughout the week of Jones’ ankle responding well to treatment enough for him to potentially suit up and play in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers. The second-year quarterback has been diagnosed with a “severe” high ankle sprain, which is typically an injury that keeps players out for up to six weeks.

And yet, Jones appears fully intent on pushing to start on Sunday.

Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer is still likely to start against the Packers with Jones possibly coming back sooner, depending on how his ankle continues to respond to treatment.

But him being back on the practice field is no guarantee that a return is necessarily imminent. However, per the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian, the ankle injury doesn’t appear to be as bad as initially thought.

Guregian wrote:

“The reported severity of Jones’ high ankle sprain appears to have been overstated.”

Even if Jones isn’t able to suit up for the game against the Packers, the possibility of him returning sooner than expected provides at least a glimmer of hope for the Patriots’ season.

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Anonymous Patriots player admits Mac Jones is ‘hurting pretty good’

An anonymous Patriots player hopes team is smart with Mac Jones’ injury.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones seems to be under the impression that he’s going to try and play against the Green Bay Packers, despite being diagnosed with a “severe” high ankle sprain.

Even coach Bill Belichick has made claims that Jones has made significant progress in the last couple of days in his recovery from an injury that typically takes up to six weeks to heal.

However, a recent report from NFL Network’s Mike Giardi suggests not everyone in the locker room is onboard with the idea of Jones trying to play through the injury in Week 4.

One Patriots player, who Giardi kept anonymous, admitted in a text message that Jones was “hurting pretty good” behind the scenes.

“Love Mac (Jones). Tough, tough, tough guy. But he’s hurting pretty good. Hope everyone’s smart about this. It’s a long season,” the player said, per Giardi.

There was a report earlier in the week that Jones was looking for a second opinion to avoid getting surgery. If he pushes it and comes back too early, he could be opening himself up to a more significant injury.

As much as the Patriots would love to have their starting quarterback on the field, they might be better off erring on the side of caution against a Packers team that was going to be heavily favored regardless of who was under center.

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Mac Jones reportedly still thinks he’s playing against the Packers

Mac Jones is reportedly telling teammates not to count him out from playing against the Packers

Don’t close the book on New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones playing in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Patriots would be making the long trek to Lambeau Field to face Aaron Rodgers and company with Brian Hoyer as their starting quarterback. Jones is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the Week 3 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

He reportedly has a “severe” high ankle sprain, which generally takes up to six weeks to heal. Coach Bill Belichick said Jones had made “a lot of progress” in Wednesday’s media conference, and it would appear as if the second-year quarterback is actually telling teammates not to count him out from playing in Week 4.

Unless Jones has suddenly morphed into Wolverine with rapid healing abilities, it’s hard to envision anyone coming back from the sort of injury he suffered so quickly.

Hoyer even took questions from the media, which is typically a strong indication that he’ll be the one playing under center for the Patriots. But it’s also strange that Jones would be telling teammates there’s still hope for him to play in the game.

Even if he doesn’t play on Sunday, would that mean he’s close enough to return where the Patriots wouldn’t consider moving him to IR? Perhaps this is all much ado about nothing but mind games from the team heading into a tough matchup with the Packers.

This latest twist has made a once bleak game so much more intriguing.

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Former Patriots assistant thinks Mac Jones could be in danger of losing his job

One former Patriots assistant believes the high volume of turnovers could cost Mac Jones his job

There’s no question that the alarming amount of turnovers committed by New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones this season are troubling. He has thrown five interceptions in just three games, including three in the team’s 37-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.

It’s no secret that turning the football over is the quickest way for a player to find themselves on the bench. And while no other quarterback on the Patriots’ roster is necessarily threatening Jones for the starting job, it doesn’t mean coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t give someone else a chance if his second-year quarterback keeps playing hot potato with the ball.

“New England is not doing anything they stand for,” former Patriots coaching assistant Michael Lombardi said on “The GM Shuffle” podcast, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “They want to avoid losing before they win. As much as I like Mac Jones, I thought Mac Jones would protect the ball and play smarter than he’s played. Now he’s hurt with the high ankle [sprain]. To me, he was in danger of either changing what he did, or he is going to lose his job. You’re not going to play in the NFL if you keep turning the ball over the way he was.”

The Patriots have a long history of being the team that doesn’t make the costly mistakes. Even when their roster wasn’t necessarily the best, they still weren’t a team that was going to beat themselves on the field.

They’re only three games into the season, and so far, they look like the complete opposite.

Jones is currently seeking a second opinion on his ankle injury in hopes of avoiding surgery. It isn’t time to hit the panic button just yet on his future in New England, but as Lombardi pointed out, it won’t be long if things keep heading in the same direction.

Julian Edelman recently alluded to the same point in a post on Twitter.

While the injury saga surrounding Jones continues, the Patriots are expected to turn the page with backup Brian Hoyer as their quarterback with a daunting task ahead of trying to knock off Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

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Patriots QB Mac Jones reportedly seeking second opinion from Kevin Durant’s doctor

Mac Jones reportedly seeking a second opinion for his ankle injury

The Mac Jones injury saga is still in full effect with the New England Patriots quarterback now reportedly seeking a second opinion from a doctor regarding his “severe” high ankle sprain.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi, the Patriots quarterback has reached out to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Martin O’Malley, a foot and ankle specialist, to get a better feel for his options, following the injury he suffered in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Giardi noted that O’Malley has worked on the ankle of Jones’ former teammate, JC Jackson. He also worked on NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury from his NBA Finals run with the Golden State Warriors in 2019.

Per NESN’s Dakota Randall, Jones is looking for options outside of surgery. He’d rather undergo treatment and rest the ankle instead of a more intrusive procedure.

Whatever he decides to do could drastically impact the overall timetable for his return. At the very least, it’s safe enough to say for now that Brian Hoyer will be the Patriots’ new starting quarterback for the time being.

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