Bill Belichick: Mac Jones would have returned for Patriots if game was close

FOXBOROUGH — Bill Belichick said if Monday’s 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears hadn’t gotten out of hand, Mac Jones would have returned to the Patriots lineup in the second half.

But Jones played just three series before Bailey Zappe took over in the second quarter.

Jones completed three of six passes for 13 yards and left after an interception. He also ran the ball three times for 24 yards.

Belichick acknowledged at the beginning of his press conference that Jones’ health — he missed three weeks with a high ankle sprain — contributed to the plan to use both quarterbacks. Belichick said he had intended to go back to Jones.

“He would have gone back in. The score got out of hand,” Belichick said. “I didn’t think that was the right thing to do.”

Jones was a limited participant in practice throughout the week but returned to the starting lineup. Belichick said neither performance nor health contributed to his decision to pull Jones. Zappe was 14 of 22 for 185 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble.

Belichick deflected any questions about who’d start or how the quarterbacks will be used next week at the New York Jets.

“We just finished the game,” he said.

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