MacJones

News: 16 hours agoPatriots head coach Bill Belichick was non-committal Tuesday when asked if Jones (undisclosed) was still the team's No. 1 quarterback, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. "We have a lot of things to work on this week as a team. We'll work through those. That is what we are going to do this week," Belichick said.

Spin: With New England heading into its bye riding a three-game losing streak, Belichick and his coaching staff appear set to re-evaluate the depth chart at multiple spots, including quarterback. Though Jones has started all 10 of the team's games to date, he's failed to finish three of those contests. His first two benchings came in blowout losses to the Cowboys and Saints, but Jones' early removal this past Sunday came while the Patriots had a chance to win the game, and his last pass attempt resulted in a costly red-zone interception with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. Bailey Zappe stepped in under center and threw a similarly ugly interception on the subsequent possession that sealed the game for the Colts. Coming out of their bye, the 2-8 Patriots could be motivated to see if Zappe or even third-stringer Will Grier can provide a spark to a dormant offense. Jones is tied for second in the NFL with 10 interceptions, and his 6.3 yards per attempt is the third-worst mark in the NFL among quarterbacks who have thrown at least 300 passes.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Following an impressive rookie campaign in 2021, Jones took a big step backward last season. He missed three games due to injury and was briefly benched in favor of Bailey Zappe en route to totaling 15 TDs and 11 INTs in 14 games. Jones finished 20th or worse in fantasy points in nine of those 14 outings. Even when playing well in 2021, Jones was not a good fantasy option (27th in PPG) and that may not change much considering his lack of mobility (231 yards and one TD on the ground in 31 games). Perhaps the arrival of new playcaller Bill O'Brien will reignite Jones' career, but he's long shot to find his way into the QB1 discussion this season.