FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Belichick's QB approach: By the time the Patriots had finished the week of practice the day after Thanksgiving, coach Bill Belichick still hadn't informed his quarterbacks who would start in Sunday's road game against the New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
It was by design -- and unconventional, as is often the case with Belichick.
"Just waiting to find out," one player said before leaving the locker room Friday. "People probably don't believe it, but this is the way he does it."
Sources said practice repetitions had been split about 50-50 between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, with Jones usually getting the initial nod. The complexity of the Giants' blitz schemes under coordinator Wink Martindale, and Jones' aptitude at sorting through them, led some in the locker room to believe Jones had the edge. One recent practice in which the defense recorded multiple interceptions against Zappe contributed to another player believing Jones would ultimately be the choice. Will Grier won't be an option Sunday, since the Patriots waived the third-string quarterback on Saturday.
By keeping his decision from his quarterbacks, and the rest of the team, throughout the week, Belichick seemingly made the calculation that the unknown would sharpen the focus of each player more than making an early-week announcement of a starter players could rally around.
"Everybody has their own things to work on -- just concentrate on what you have to do, be ready to go, and don't worry about what everybody else is doing. I think that's good advice for all of us," Belichick said.
Players, such as offensive tackle Trent Brown, echoed that message.
"It is what it's going to be at the end of the day," he said of the QB situation. "Me personally, I just have to do my job. Everything else around me doesn't matter."
When Belichick met with reporters Tuesday and Friday, after the Patriots' Week 11 bye, he kept repeating the same answer when asked about his QB plans, saying he told every player to be ready to go.
Needless to say, whenever a team is deciding between two quarterbacks, it usually isn't a good thing. Some might have viewed Belichick's approach with the media as playing games on the topic, and perhaps there was a little bit of that -- the next time Belichick announces a starter to reporters before he tells his team would be a first.
But in reality, it was mostly part of a calculated approach, combined with hard coaching behind the scenes in hopes of creating a spark.
Not much has worked for Belichick this season. Whether this works is one remaining layer of intrigue in a disappointing 2-8 season.
2. Mac's X-ray: When Jones went for an X-ray after the team's Week 10 loss to the Colts, they were checking his right shoulder/arm, according to a source familiar with the test. In-game statisticians had credited the Colts with nine quarterback hits against Jones, the final blow coming when 291-pound defensive lineman Taven Bryan drove him to the ground two passing plays before his badly underthrown interception. Jones acknowledged this past week that he's working through things like any NFL player, saying: "Every week's a car crash in its own way, so you're trying to get back from that. I do think the bye week helped get the body back. I'm looking forward to finishing strong."
3. Draft position: When a 3-8 team (Giants) hosts a 2-8 team (Patriots) in late November, a notable longer-range subplot is how the game might impact draft position. Per ESPN Analytics data, the Giants (85%) and Patriots (59%) have the third- and fourth-best chance to land a top-5 pick in the 2024 draft, behind the Bears (95%) and Cardinals (88%). It would be the Patriots' first top-5 pick since taking defensive end/outside linebacker Willie McGinest fourth overall in 1994.
4. Trent's tale: It seemed important to Brown, the starting left tackle, to share with reporters this past week that he solicited a second opinion on his right ankle injury, saying that the second look revealed both high and low ankle sprains and that the injury has been the primary reason he has missed the past two games.
He took exception to speculation that an off-the-field issue was at the root of his absence, speculation that was sparked in part by the club listing "ankle/personal" on the injury report. Brown said that attending his uncle's funeral was his personal issue and that he had hoped to spend more time with his family while the team was in Germany but was required to be in New England for rehab.
The injury occurred Oct. 22, and he attempted to play through it the next week at Miami, before shutting it down.
"I tried my best to do it for the team, but I wasn't at my best. I felt like I was doing more harm than good," he said, sharing his viewpoint that he was arguably the team's best offensive player through the first eight weeks of the season. "I want to get back to being me. Fighting through things like that, you overcompensate and create problems on the other side as well."
Brown, who is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, relayed that the second opinion included X-rays on both knees and ankles.
"[The doctor] told me he doesn't expect any [long-term] concerns, good genetics, no arthritis," he said.
5. TD drought: Points have been hard to come by for the Patriots, who rank 31st in the NFL averaging 14.1 per game. Consider that they've had three games this season without a touchdown, tied for most in the NFL (Titans and Giants) and tied for most in a season under Belichick (2020). The last time the Patriots had four games in a season without scoring a touchdown was 1991, when they were 6-10 under Dick MacPherson.
6. Barmore's inspiration: Third-year defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been a silver lining in recent weeks, saying his improved play against the run is a result of keeping his feet moving more consistently and reading his keys more effectively. He also noted his personal inspiration, spending the bye weekend at home in Philadelphia with his 4-month-old daughter, Shiloh. "That's who I'm doing it for. Especially when things get hard, and there are days when it's hard to keep going," he said.
7. Tavai's appeal: Linebacker Jahlani Tavai said his appeal of a $10,463 fine for unnecessary roughness in the Week 10 loss to the Colts -- for a third-quarter hit on receiver Isaiah McKenzie -- is scheduled for Tuesday. He's a believer in player safety but also in preserving the integrity of what he views as within-the-rules physical play that can energize a team. "I have no ill intention on other players," Tavai said. "Big hits like that can be a turning point for us. They boost our morale."
8. Slater saves $14K: Each Saturday, the NFL reveals which players were fined for rules violations, but it usually flies under the radar when a player's fine is rescinded. Along those lines, Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater relayed that his appeal of a $14,819 fine from the team's Week 5 game against the Saints was successful.
Patriots safety Kyle Dugger was fined $20,266 for unnecessary roughness in last week's game (1st quarter/11:58), while Matthew Slater was fined $14,819 for unnecessary roughness (3rd quarter/1:21).
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 14, 2023
There were no penalties called on either play.
9. Did you know? -- Part I: The Patriots are 16-7 after a bye week under Belichick.
10. Did you know? -- Part II: Sunday will mark Belichick's 423rd game as Patriots coach, tying Don Shula for third place in most games coached with one team -- behind only George Halas (506 with Chicago) and Tom Landry (454 with Dallas).