CNN
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New England Patriots beginning quarterback Mac Jones was benched mid-game in his crew’s 33-14 dwelling defeat to the Chicago Bears on Monday Evening Soccer.
Jones had missed the previous three video games with a excessive ankle sprain however lastly returned to the beginning line-up to face the Bears.
Nevertheless, after main the Patriots to 2 scoreless drives and throwing an interception, Jones was changed by Bailey Zappe – the fourth-round rookie who led the crew ably in Jones’ absence – within the second quarter. All through the sport, the group in Gillette Stadium could possibly be heard sporadically chanting Zappe’s identify.
The 23-year-old Zappe instantly had an influence, main New England to 2 back-to-back landing drives, together with a 30-yard landing go to Jakobi Myers.
Nevertheless, Zappe did wrestle in the course of the contest, shedding a fumble and throwing two late interceptions because the Bears turned the screw, scoring 23 straight factors to show the sport and take the win.
After the sport, Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick mentioned it was his plan to play each quarterbacks within the recreation in opposition to the Bears and that he was going to place Jones again into the line-up, however the rating bought “out of hand.”
When requested who the beginning quarterback can be of their Week 8 conflict with the New York Jets, Belichick declined to remark. “We simply completed the sport,” he answered along with his well-known bluntness.
On the opposite sideline, it was a way more optimistic night for the Bears who snapped a three-game shedding streak with the victory.
Regardless of persevering with to not throw the ball an excessive amount of, quarterback Justin Fields and his solid of working backs destroyed the Patriots on the bottom, ending with 243 speeding yards and two touchdowns as a crew.
Fields – who has struggled throughout his first season because the beginning quarterback – regarded far more composed on Monday, ending with a passing landing, whereas speeding for one more and tossing one interception.
In a mode change from earlier weeks, the Bears teaching employees applied extra designed runs for Fields to make the most of his dynamism and maintain the Patriots protection off-kilter.
And it labored as Chicago was capable of transfer the ball up and down in opposition to New England, with Khalil Herbert the beneficiary of Fields’ landing go because the Bears’ protection pressured three Patriots interceptions by security Jaquan Brisker, linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Kyler Gordon.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus mentioned the change in dynamics with Chicago’s offense was the catalyst for the win.
“I feel that creates a difficulty generally for the protection, relying on what protection they’re in,” Eberflus mentioned.
“Definitely, when you may have a quarterback that has the designed runs with the run-pass off of it, then additionally doing a little issues simply to have the flexibility to scramble and make first downs, I feel that’s an enormous piece and it’s exhausting to defend these guys. We’ve all seen them across the league and Justin did a pleasant job of executing at present.”
The Bears enhance to 3-4 for the season, whereas the Patriots fall to the identical document.
