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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was pulled from a blowout loss for the second week in a row, with coach Bill Belichick turning to backup Bailey Zappe with 13:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The Patriots were trailing 31-0 at the time of the switch.
Last week, Jones was pulled by Belichick with 3:41 left in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys, with the team trailing 31-3. Belichick later said he didn’t see any point of leaving Jones in the game, but that he would start in Week 5 at home against the Saints.
Jones’ hold on the starting job figures to be a hot-button topic again this week after he finished 12 of 22 for 110 yards with two interceptions against the Saints.
When pressed after the game, Belichick said Jones is still his top choice at quarterback.
“Yeah,” Belichick said. “There were a lot of problems. Certainly wasn’t all on him.”
The first interception came midway through the first quarter when Jones was hit by defensive end Carl Granderson while attempting to throw a short pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The ball fluttered in the air to defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who returned it 27 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Saints lead.
Turnovers have been a major problem for Jones, who lost a fumble on an ill-advised scramble against the Cowboys that was returned for a touchdown, and also threw an across-the-field interception that was returned for an interception.
Since becoming the Patriots’ starter as a rookie in 2021, Jones has six interceptions that have been returned for a touchdown, which ties him with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the most in the NFL over that span.
Jones is 105 of 168 for 1,008 yards on the season, with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Instability and inconsistency on the offensive line haven’t helped his cause, as the Patriots were one of only three teams to play with four different configurations on the line through the first four weeks of the season. Patriots receivers also entered Sunday averaging the least amount of separation on targets (3.1 yards), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
The Patriots visit the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday.