“Zappe Fever” couldn’t be going any better for Bill Belichick right now.

The Patriots are back to .500 after a 38-15 rout of the Cleveland Browns, and they did it on the strength of their defense, timely offensive play-calling, and superior coaching and preparation. Oh, and Bailey Zappe posted a 118.4 passer rating.

Despite the rising temperatures as the fever spreads throughout New England, Mac Jones’ next opportunity to play will mark more than four weeks since he suffered a high-ankle sprain. Jones avoided surgery and a trip to injured reserve, so ideally, he and the team have been earmarking Week 7 to return all along. Right? Wait, really?

But what about the fevah?

Much of the discussion around Zappe this week will be whether he’s wrested the starting job away from Jones, or how close he is to accomplishing that. Would Belichick fix what isn’t broken? And with the unimpressive Chicago Bears coming to Foxboro next Monday night, shouldn’t they be able to win with Zappe anyway?

So, if the plan is ultimately to go back to Jones next week, and pull Zappe before he has a chance to faceplant, then the pressure falls entirely on the shoulders of Belichick and his incumbent starter. After the way Zappe produced in his latest start, putting an end to “Zappe Fever” himself would be a big risk for Belichick to take. So really, the rookie has turned up the heat on both of them.

But at the end of the day, Jones will be the one on the field, handling the football, whenever that turns out to be. And in one crucial area – ball security – Zappe has clearly been the better quarterback. In the first three games of the season with Jones at QB, the Patriots’ turnover differential was minus-4. In the past three games, it’s plus-5. Jones’ interception rate is at 5.2 percent, while Zappe’s is 1.4 percent.

This may be tough to accept at the moment, but Jones still presents the Patriots’ best chance to take a step forward from last season. Rookies barely ever win playoff games, let alone go on a run. If they want to win a game in January, it’ll have to be with Jones under center. But Zappe’s level of play has at least given Belichick a tough decision on when to time Jones’ return.

The only person whose opinion matters is Belichick himself, and the head coach didn’t seem overly impressed with Zappe’s performance in totality.

“He has pretty good instincts, but there is a lot for him to learn,” Belichick said of Zappe after the game. “There are things today that he learned from and he was able to take advantage of and make a couple plays. He had the opportunity. Again, it’s all performance. It’s not turning the ball over or a strip sack. It’s a good thing.”

CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 16: Bailey Zappe #4 of the New England Patriots fumbles the ball while being hit by Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 16, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Zappe’s poise has been advanced for a rookie fourth-round pick who began the regular season as the third-string quarterback. He also showed resilience on Sunday, responding to a rough second-quarter stretch with a strong close to the first half. Then he caught fire in the second half, going 13-of-17 for 168 yards and both of his touchdown passes.

So why was Belichick so lukewarm about Zappe’s game? Probably due to things that don’t come up when you calculate passer rating, like his penalties for delay of game and intentional grounding. Also, on third-and-goal during the Patriots’ first drive, Zappe had Hunter Henry open in the back of the end zone early in his route, but held the ball and instead escaped the pocket before firing a pass that Henry illegally touched after being knocked out of bounds.

So, factor in the hiccups, and Belichick may view the game as more of an up-and-down quarterbacking effort. But the number that doesn’t lie is the turnover differential. And Zappe even showed glimpses of being more than just a game manager. His 21-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton early in the fourth quarter, after finding space in the pocket with his feet, was a straight-up dynamic play.

https://twitter.com/FTBeard7/status/1581732183059808256

But what Belichick probably likes the most about Zappe, is that he does what he’s told.

“I think the biggest thing is staying with the game plan, nothing outside the game plan,” Zappe said after the game. “The receivers played well, the tight ends played well, the running back played well. We just had a really good offensive day today. Celebrate today and then on to the Bears.”

The pressure could be on Jones to play in the first place, let alone play well. If he doesn’t return ASAP, it’s fair to ask why he didn’t go on IR. Playing against Chicago may also be the only way Jones avoids any questions about his toughness or dependability. It’s commendable that Jones has appeared in some form at Patriots practice every week since his injury, but the clock’s really ticking now for him to get back on the field.

Belichick did his best to say nothing about the QB situation during his Monday morning video conference. But his comment suggested that health is the biggest factor in whether Jones will play next Monday.

“We’ll see how that process is,” Belichick said Monday. “Mac [Jones] still wasn’t able to play [Sunday]. We’ll continue to evaluate him and see how he’s doing physically.”

Jul 29, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) talks with quarterback Bailey Zappe (55) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

If Jones takes the field next Monday night against the Bears, he better be ready to protect the ball and prove that a suddenly rolling offense won’t skip a beat going back to him. Because if it’s more of the same struggles Jones had early in the season, then we may well have a full-blown controversy on our hands. According to many, we’re there already.

Regardless, Jones is going to want to get back on the field as soon as he can, before “The Fever” can permanently take hold.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.