Patriots Unfiltered Roundtable Roundup: Week 7 vs Bears

How will your expectations for the quarterback position differ if Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe get the start vs. Chicago, if at all?

If Mac plays, I’m looking for a playmaker, where the play of the quarterback becomes a threat in and of itself. If Zappe plays, I’m looking for more of what we’ve already seen: limit mistakes, sound decision making and poise. -FK

I don’t expect much to change. Continue to run the ball and take some shots with play action, as has been the case most of the season regardless of quarterback. –PP

If Mac Jones is available, I’m hoping that he doesn’t come in trying too hard to prove himself as the starter that he makes too many mistakes. Instead I hope the Patriots develop a gameplan that comfortably eases him back in to playing again especially after he’s missed three games. If Bailey Zappe starts, I hope the Patriots pick up where they left off last week with the offense. Opening up the playbook a little more and taking off the training wheels. We saw more of Bailey Zappe’s skillset last week versus the Browns than we did all training camp and I would hope to continue seeing that develop. -TB

Not much. If it’s Mac as reported, I’d like to see the Patriots continue using the under play-action elements they found with Zappe. More blockers in the protection, draw the defense in, and let Mac attack downfield off play-action rather than the volatile spread stuff they were doing before. -EL

I think they’ll meet in the middle and ask a similar performance out of either. Both will need to limit mistakes and let the running game do the heavy lifting until they can get a lead. If the game is close or if the Patriots get behind I think it will tell us a lot more about the quarterbacks than if they get another one like the last two where things are never really in doubt and they’re playing from a position of strength the entire game. -MD