Jones to remain Patriots' starter despite benching in blowout loss to Cowboys

Despite his removal in the third quarter of Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Mac Jones will remain the New England Patriots' starting quarterback.

"No sense in leaving him in the game," head coach Bill Belichick said, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

Jones exited the contest having completed 12 of 21 passes for 150 yards with a 39.9 passer rating, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble.

Two of Jones' turnovers were returned for touchdowns by the Cowboys. DaRon Bland returned one of his two interceptions for a pick-six, and Leighton Vander Esch snatched a fumble for a touchdown.

Despite all of that, Belichick told reporters that Jones' removal from the game was unrelated to the passer's performance.

Dallas built up a 31-3 lead before New England made the switch to Bailey Zappe under center.

Zappe made his first appearance of the 2023 campaign. The 2022 fourth-round pick played in four games, including two starts, last season for New England. He passed for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions as a rookie.