On Saturday, the Broncos made it known to the world that quarterback Russell Wilson would miss Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. That same day, the Patriots created a maximum mystery regarding whether starter Mac Jones would return, or whether rookie Bailey Zappe would get another start.
The Patriots revealed only that Jones was “limited” in practice all week due to a high ankle sprain suffered 29 days ago. Officially, Jones was listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Jones took the overwhelming majority of the first-team reps in practice. The message was obvious -- he was on track to start. But Belichick runs a very tight ship when it comes to information, and no one blabbed (until late this afternoon) that Mac would be back.
As we explained on Saturday, Jones was feeling close to 90 percent, and he was pushing to play. He continues to be in the 90-percent range. The team, we’re told, has some concern about aggravation of the injury. But Jones persuaded Belichick to give Jones a chance to play.
The Patriots won both games that Zappe started, thanks to a total-team effort. After early-season struggles, the New England defense and running game have significantly improved. If Jones can play effectively, the Patriots should be able to extend their winning streak to three tonight, against the Bears in a rematch of Super Bowl XX.