Bailey Zappe takes reps as Bill Belichick mum on Patriots' QB situation - ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he wasn't announcing a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but if the portion of practice open to reporters Wednesday is any indication, he's turning to backup Bailey Zappe as the top option.

Zappe took multiple repetitions at the full-pads practice, then was followed by undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham, who is on the practice squad.

Starter Mac Jones didn't take any throws in the time that reporters were present, nor did practice squad quarterback Will Grier.

«I'm not going to make any announcements on our lineup at any position,» Belichick had said earlier in the day. «See how practice goes, see if everybody is ready to go, see what the injury situation is, and we'll go with what we think is best Sunday.»

Jones hasn't been on the injury report this season but did undergo X-rays after a Nov. 12 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany. He was hit nine times in that game; the X-rays were on his right shoulder/arm, a source told ESPN.

Jones has been pulled from four games in the Patriots' 2-9 season, most recently at halftime of Sunday's 10-7 loss to the New York Giants after throwing two interceptions and having a fumble recovered by a teammate.

Shaky offensive line play and a receiving corps that has struggled to consistently get open haven't helped, but Jones has acknowledged his own shortcomings after the team was held scoreless in the first half against the Giants.

«Bad quarterback play. It wasn't good enough by me. If the quarterback doesn't play well, you got no chance,» Jones said. «I wasn't moving the ball and scoring points. I understand why that happened.»

Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who