Much to everyone's surprise, Bill Belichick awoke on Friday, after filling his stomach on Thanksgiving, and decided to be an open and honest book about the quarterback position heading into Sunday's game with the Giants.
Yeah, right. He didn't change his, "I've told everyone to be ready to go" tone from earlier in the week.
Q: Bill, on Tuesday or Wednesday, Mac Jones said that he was hopeful that he will be the starter against the Giants and he felt like that was the plan. Is that the plan?
BB: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go. Hopefully that’s what they’re all doing. I’m not going to announce starters at every position or whatever. Everybody will be ready to go.
Q: Is it mostly Mac and Bailey [Zappe] taking the first teams reps in practice?
BB: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go.
Q: Even though you’ve told them to be ready to go, have you, in your own mind, settled on a guy yet?
BB: I’ve told everybody to be ready to go.
Q: Bill, why aren’t you going to announce it?
BB: Then we’ll be announcing who’s starting this, who’s playing that, who’s doing this, who’s doing that. I mean, once we get going on that then – I’m not going down that road. So, sorry.
Q: We promise to keep it to just one position.
BB: Yeah, right.
Q: Is that because it’s a competitive advantage in your opinion?
BB: I’m not getting into that. Whoever we put in, I hope they’re ready to go and play well. Whenever that is. It could be the first play of the game, or it could be the last play of the game. I don’t know.
Q: Could practice today dictate that one way or another?
BB: Practice is important for every player.
Q: Would the matchup impact this decision for you much? I’m just thinking that the Giants, seems like they are pretty blitz heavy team, would that factor in?
BB: You’re going to have to ask the Giants what they do, I don’t know. Don’t blitz on every play, maybe they will, I don’t know. You’d have to ask [Don] Wink [Martindale] that, I don’t know. I can’t tell you what they’re going to do.
Q: But would that factor into your call?
BB: I don’t know what they’re going to do. Can you tell me what their game plan is? I don’t know.
Q: Bill, do you believe there would be any benefit to announcing to the team who it is, so they can know and rally around them?
BB: I’ve told everybody to prepare and get ready to play. That’s what they’re all are doing. I think everyone’s got their own things to work on. Just concentrate on what you have to do, be ready to go and don’t worry about what everybody else is doing. I think that’s good advice for all of us.
UPDATE
Bailey Zappe told reporters after practice that the players didn't know who is starting either.
“Same as every week, preparing for the game no matter what coach’s decision is,” Zappe said. “You know, treating it like every other game week.
“That’s Coach Belichick’s decision. He’s the head coach for a reason. He makes those decisions, and we just play football.”
Also, every player on the Patriots is available for Sunday's game with no one out or doubtful.
The Giants will be without RT Evan Neal, and likely star DT Dexter Lawrence.
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So, did everybody have fun with that?
Here are my lingering thoughts on it...
BSJ ANALYSIS
- A penny for the Krafts' thoughts about this. This is the type of stuff that you shrugged at when the Patriots were 8-2 and going full steam toward the playoffs. At 8-2? Not so cute. Some around the team believe this stuff is really starting to bother them. It has for some time, but the winning made it all good.
- No one in the building knows what Belichick is thinking on this. I'm half surprised he didn't leak it to a national reporter the minute he stepped off the podium, which is his normal modus operandi.
- That he hasn't leaked it yet makes me wonder if he goes with Bailey Zappe. Why? If Belichick was making a change, he would a) not want to give it to the media, and b) save Mac Jones the embarrassment as long as possible. If he went with Zappe and it leaked before locker room on Friday, at some point Jones would have to be asked about that, along with his teammates. By holding it until Belichick leaks it on Saturday or Sunday morning, Jones really wouldn't have to comment on being benched until sometime late next week — probably Thursday or Friday.
- Belichick may also not want to give in to the players who have leaked that some of the locker room is out on Jones. Belichick is not one to be dictated to by the players, so he's making them suffer as long as possible.
- Could we see some sort of platoon against the Giants? I don't rule that out at all.
- Another possibility: Belichick is still going with Jones, he just wanted him to practice for his job this week. Wouldn't seem to think Jones needed that, but you never know.
- Have a hard time seeing Grier getting a chance. Guessing he hasn't shown much or taken hold of much of the playbook. Heard he's taking scout team reps.
