Heading into Monday’s game, questions about the Patriots’ quarterback situation abounded. ‘How healthy is Mac Jones?’ ‘Will he start?’ ‘Will both quarterbacks play?’ ‘What does it all mean for Bailey Zappe?’ Reports leading up to the game suggested just about everything was on the table, including both players having a chance to start as well as a quarterback platoon.

This game was supposed to answer all the questions. Yet somehow, some way, there may be more questions than before the 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Jones played the first three drives of the game, going 3-for-6 for 13 with another three carries for 13 yards. His third series of the game ended with an interception, and that was it for the 2021 first-round pick.

Zappe started the Patriots’ first drive of the second quarter – their fourth of the game – and led two consecutive scoring marches. However, a fumble on a botched read-option with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers quickly ended the third drive – a two-minute drill opportunity.

With Zappe still at the helm, the offense then had back-to-back three-and-outs on their only two drives of the third quarter. By the time they touched the ball again, the game was already out of hand. Despite Bill Belichick telling ESPN at halftime his plan was to play both quarterbacks in the second half, Jones never returned to the game. Zappe finished 14-of-22 throwing the ball for 185 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.

So Jones threw a pick, was benched in favor of the hot hand in Zappe, and that’s that, right? Well, turns out it wasn’t that simple.

“We had planned to play – I told the quarterbacks that we were going to play both of them, and that’s what we did,” Belichick told reporters after the game. He added that the plan was to put Mac Jones back in the game in the second half, but, “the score got out of hand. I didn’t think that was the right thing to do.”

Still, why the timing of the quarterback switch? Despite Jones final play being a questionable interception, Belichick declined to cite that as the reason he was replaced by Zappe.

Asked specifically if Jones was ‘benched’ after the interception, Belichick replied “that’s not what it was, but you can write whatever you want to write. That’s not what it was.” At the same time, Belichick gave a lone “no” when asked if Jones was pulled due to a ‘medical decision.’ Instead, it all came back to ‘the situation.’

“I think it was the best thing to do based on the situation,” Belichick said when asked why he decided to use a quarterback rotation. Pressed on a definition of what ‘the situation’ is, he just replied “the whole situation.”

If this all seems confusing, don’t worry that’s not just you. After the game, multiple Patriots players seemed perplexed by the way things played out.

“It’s tough to see somebody who worked so hard kind of get that kind of treatment,” Meyers said. He later added via Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald that “not even the coaches, just everybody. The crowd, all of it. It was an ugly situation, in my opinion.” Mark Daniels of MassLive tweeted after the game that he was told “multiple Patriots offensive players that they didn’t know the team would use two quarterbacks tonight.”

Even Zappe didn’t seem to be fully in the loop. Asked about his understanding of the plan entering the night, he said, “I think that is something Coach Belichick. I prepared this week like I have every other week. I prepared as if I was going to play or not.”

As for when he found out that Jones would be the starter? “About the same time y’all did.”

Despite Belichick saying the original plan called for Jones to re-enter the game, Zappe said he wasn’t involved in any such discussions. “Nothing to my knowledge,” Zappe replied, when asked if he was told Jones could come back in when the change was first made. “Of course, that’s something that’s for Coach Belichick.”

Zappe also deflected when asked about the distribution of reps in practice this week, and if he’d worked with the first-team offense. “That’s a question – moving on to the Jets, actually. So getting ready for them.”

Pressed on what the plan actually was, Belichick gave a vague answer. “We went through the week,” he said, when asked when the quarterbacks were told both would be playing. “We went through the week of practice.”

The only person who seemed to be clued-in on the plan – other than Belichick – was Jones. “I think we had a good plan, as always, just to go throughout the week and figure out what we want to do for the game,” Jones said postgame. “Coach Belichick was very good about communication and felt like I was good to play, and we had a good plan there, and obviously didn’t play well.”

“I think Coach Belichick had a really good plan for us,” Jones continued. “Obviously, that’s kind of internal stuff, but I understood the plan and what was going to happen.”

On the timing of his exit from the game – after his interception, Jones noted it was, “Just part of the plan.”

“I think Coach Belichick obviously did a really, really good job explaining it to me. I knew what the plan was, and the timing is the timing; but we were on the same page, and there’s no hard feelings or anything,” he continued. “I wish I played better while I was in there, but hopefully I’ll have a chance to do that in practice and kind of earn that back and then apply it in the game.”

Although Belichick cited Jones’ physical condition – returning after missing three weeks with a high ankle sprain – as the reason for the positional platoon, Jones said after the game he felt fine. “I felt like I was good to go,” he noted when asked about a report from early last week that noted he was ’85-90 percent healthy.’

That brings us to the biggest question of all – what now? Who is the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots? Believe it or not, there was no clear answer given after the game.

“I guess when Sunday comes, we’ll know,” Jones said after the game when asked if he anticipates starting next week. “I just, like I said, want to become a better player and prepare like I always prepare and put the hours in every day. My schedule doesn’t change. I’m just going to continue to do that, and hopefully the results will take care of themselves. There’s some things you can’t control, and I’m just going to control, like I said, my attitude and my effort and come in early, stay late, and do my job.”

For his part, Belichick did say he “doesn’t see” the team using a quarterback platoon or re-opening the quarterback competition in-game – something that happens on occasion in college football – moving forward. But when asked who the starting quarterback of his team is?

“We just finished the game.”

It’s not uncommon for the Patriots to keep some of their football operations processes internal. That is perhaps best illustrated by this summer’s saga involving the team’s offensive play-caller. The fallback in those situations though is usually “it doesn’t matter if we know, as long as they know inside the building,” and that’s usually the case. From the outside looking in there may not appear to be much direction, but that’s simply a result of not being able to see the entire picture.

This one may be different though. The Patriots’ quarterback situation appears to be being held so close to the chest, even some inside the locker room are now left on the outside looking in. At least, that’s the way it felt Monday night.

Granted, Belichick could clear this all up relatively easily – walk into Tuesday’s first team meeting, name a starter, and that’s that. Even declaring it a competition would add some level of definition. There’s still five days before they play their next game in New York against the Jets, plenty of time to sort through whatever needs to be sorted through. The one thing that is for sure though is that the plan for this game – whatever it was – isn’t the answer.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].