There is no need to rush Patriots’ Mac Jones back into the lineup

Mac Jones is apparently close to returning for the New England Patriots, but the team should not rush him back into the lineup.  When your team’s starting quarterback goes down, it should create a sense of urgency and even panic with the team, and for good reason.

When Mac Jones went down against the Baltimore Ravens, some of that panic was felt.  Furthermore, Jones wasn’t playing the best when he left with his ankle injury, so there was even more reason to be disappointed.

Then against the Green Bay Packers, Brian Hoyer left the game with the concussion and was since placed on injured reserve.  Brian Hoyer is a good backup and has been with the Patriots before, so he gave the team a better backup situation than most teams.

However, a team that is now on their third string quarterback is likely very much in a tough spot, but the Patriots appear to not be in that situation.  Since taking over as the starter during the Green Bay game, Bailey Zappe has gone 27/36 for 287 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and has earned a passer rating of 104.7.

Put simply, Zappe has been excellent given the circumstances.  New England nearly won in Green Bay and shut out the Detroit Lions at home.  They also have an easier schedule as they head towards their bye week.  What would the benefit be in rushing Mac Jones back from this injury?  High ankle sprains can be a severe injury and can take upwards of six to eight weeks to heal.

With Bailey Zappe playing better than Mac Jones, albeit in a smaller sample size, why not keep rolling with Zappe?  The Patriots can still play to their strengths on offense with the rookie signal caller, and, to be fair to Zappe, he’s looked better as a passer.

I think that Mac Jones is ultimately the guy for the Patriots, but I think there’s reason to think that the team needs to be careful with bringing Jones back into the lineup.