Patriots bench quarterback Mac Jones amid double-digit deficit against Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys defense did not treat Patriots quarterback Mac Jones nicely on Sunday. Trailing 31-3 before the start of the fourth quarter, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick opted to bench the former first-round draft pick instead of letting the Micah Parsons-led group continue their onslaught.

Jones threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and fumbled another ball, which was also returned for a touchdown, before Belichick moved him to the bench in favor of Bailey Zappe. Jones was 12-for-21 before his exit.

Two drives with Zappe under center, however, resulted in two more punts.

The 28-3 deficit to the Cowboys at halftime is a historic mark for Bill Belichick. He led the Patriots to a historic comeback in the Super Bowl against Atlanta while down 28-3, however, the score was only 21-3 at halftime.

With Dallas continuing to score points and Jones on the bench, another comeback from Belichick looks highly doubtful, if not downright impossible. A win on Sunday would have been the legendary head coach’s 300th regular season win.

Patriots rule out rookie Christian Gonzalez

Already down a couple of members of their secondary, the New England Patriots suffered another major loss on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. The Patriots announced that rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez is out for the remainder of the game after suffering a shoulder injury. Veteran starting cornerback Jonathan Jones was ruled out on the inactives report before the game.

The first-year out of Oregon earned the league’s defensive rookie of the month award after notching his first career sack and first career interception in September. He had 16 tackles through three games and he added one more before exiting the Week 4 matchup early.

The Patriots selected Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in April.

Gonzalez spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career with the Colorado Buffaloes, amassing 78 total tackles and ten pass deflections over his time in Boulder. However, he truly broke out in 2022, during his lone season with the Ducks.

At Oregon, Gonzalez elevated his game, accumulating 51 total tackles, seven pass deflections and four interceptions in 2022.