Jones on Pats’ QB quandary: Control my attitude

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones said the decision on the team’s starter is out of his control, but he’s doing everything he can to position himself to get the nod from coach Bill Belichick.

“Hope so,” Jones said Wednesday when asked whether he will be starting against the New York Giants on Sunday. “That’s the plan. I always work really hard for that; really put a lot of attention and detail into the week.

“A lot of that decision-making is things I can’t control, but I can control my attitude and effort. I’m really thankful overall just to be in the NFL and to be playing quarterback. On Thanksgiving, it’s a great week to be grateful for a lot of things. To play this game, the game we love, together, that means a lot to me regardless of the situation.”

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Belichick said Tuesday he has told every player to be ready to go, and when pressed on what that means at quarterback, he said, “Will let you know Sunday.”

Some who were present at practice Tuesday relayed that Jones took the initial repetitions at quarterback, with No. 2 option Bailey Zappe getting a significant share of snaps behind him. Will Grier is third on the depth chart.

Jones said Wednesday that sharing repetitions wasn’t a new development.

“We’ve been splitting them for a little bit of time here,” Jones said. “So I’m just trying to take advantage of when I get in there, and when I don’t get the reps, go off to the side and throw with the receivers, and with an equipment manager, and make sure I get all the throws I need.”

Wednesday marked the first time Jones addressed reporters since New England’s Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was benched by Belichick after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter. Belichick called on Zappe to lead a potential comeback drive with 1:52 remaining.

Jones had entered the X-ray room after the game and said afterwards he had a bruise in an undisclosed area.

Asked Wednesday how he feels physically, Jones answered: “Obviously when you play half a season, there’s going to be some bumps and bruises, but overall I feel pretty good. Definitely working through some things, but everyone is. … Every week is a car crash in its own way, so you’re trying to get back from that. The bye week definitely helped getting the body back, and I’m looking forward to finishing this thing strong.”

The Patriots are 2-8 and enter the weekend with the worst record in the AFC.