Patriots' Bailey Zappe Says He Didn't Know When He'd Enter vs. Bears for Mac Jones

"Zappe Fever" has reached an all-time high in New England after Patriots head coach Bill Belichick opted to replace Mac Jones with Bailey Zappe on the team's fourth drive of Monday's 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.

While Belichick told WEEI's The Greg Hill Show that he intended to play both Jones and Zappe on Monday night, Zappe said he had no idea that he would be put into the game so early.

"No, sir," Zappe said on WEEI's Merloni, Fauria and Mego when asked if he knew that the fourth drive was when he would replace Jones. "That is up to Coach Belichick."

After Jones led the New England offense to three scoreless drives to start the game, Belichick pulled the plug on the second-year signal-caller, opting to turn to Zappe, the team's 2022 fourth-round pick.

Jones completed three of six passes for just 13 yards before being replaced. He also tossed a brutal interception on his final drive before being pulled in favor of Zappe.

Zappe, who played the remainder of the game, made an instant impact in the New England offense, leading two consecutive touchdown drives, including a 30-yard pass to Jakobi Meyers for a score.

The two touchdowns put the Patriots up 14-10, but things went downhill for Belichick's squad from there. Zappe finished the game having completed 14 of 22 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

It's worth mentioning that Jones was playing his first game since suffering a high ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, he wasn't playing particularly well even before being sidelined.

Through New England's first three games, the Alabama product had completed 66 percent of his passes for 786 yards and two touchdowns against five interceptions. He also rushed for a score.

The Patriots went 1-2 in those games.

Jones appears to have taken a step backward from his rookie season in which he completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl selection.

If the 24-year-old doesn't show some improvement, Zappe could be in line to see more time as New England's starter.

Zappe has started two games this season and led the Patriots to wins over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. He completed 41 of 55 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns against one interception in those games.

The Western Kentucky product also played the majority of New England's overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 after Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown.

The 3-4 Patriots are set to face the 5-2 New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Belichick has yet to name a starting quarterback for the key AFC East matchup.