Could Patriots turn to Will Grier or Malik Cunningham at quarterback?

FOXBORO -- The Patriots are sticking with Mac Jones at quarterback this weekend. But if he falters again against the Raiders, it may not be Bailey Zappe that New England turns to in Jones' place.

It was Zappe who took the field after Jones was shown the bench in each of the last two losses, which saw the Patriots get outscored 72-3 and fall to 1-4. Jones has been real bad over the last two games -- involved in six turnovers, three of which led directly to touchdowns for the opposition -- but Zappe hasn't been much better in relief. He's missed several open targets and completed just seven of his 18 passes for 79 yards and no touchdowns.

The rush that "Zappe Fever" provided in his two starts as a rookie last season has turned into aches and chills this year. And considering the Patriots released Zappe ahead of season, they likely know what they have in the 24-year-old. With Zappe unimpressive in his two appearances this year, New England may turn elsewhere at the most important position on the field should Jones stumble again.

Belichick's other options? Will Grier and Malik Cunningham. The Patriots head coach spoke about both QBs on Friday, though he wouldn't delve into the current state -- or potential future -- of New England's depth chart at the position.

Grier was signed to the 53-man roster three weeks ago off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. He was a third-round pick in 2019 and started two games for the Panthers, losing both as he completed just 54 percent of his passes and was picked off four times. He hasn't played in an NFL game since.

But the Patriots are reportedly impressed with what they've seen out of Grier, as Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal reported this week on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Felger & Mazz that Grier would be the one getting the nod this time around should Jones falter. And if Jones loses his starting gig, it would be Grier getting a shot to take over and not Zappe.

On Friday, Belichick said that Grier is making the most out of his limited chances on the practice field.

"The opportunities he's had, he's done well with. It's just hard to get that position a lot of reps. He's a smart kid, throws the ball well. He's got a good arm and has picked up and learned things,' said Belichick. "Just going to keep going here and try to keep feeding him as much as we can, but there's only so many snaps out there. Obviously, everyone needs them."

If Jones struggles again on Sunday and finds a spot on the bench for the third straight week, Grier taking over would obviously confirm that he's overtaken Zappe on the depth chart. And that would really make things interesting next week as the Patriots prepare for an AFC East showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

But Cunningham could be another wild card in the quarterback kerfuffle in New England. Fans fell in love with him after he led the team on its most exciting drive of the preseason, with Cunningham showing off his dual-threat ability against the Texans. He's on the practice squad after an impressive training camp, which saw the Louisville star spend time at both receiver and quarterback. 

While he's spent most of his time working as a receiver, Cunningham got some work at quarterback last week to help New England prepare for New Orleans tight end/quarterback Taysom Hill. Bill O'Brien had a lot of great things to say about Cunningham earlier in the week, which included the offensive coordinator calling the undrafted rookie one of the "most improved" players on the New England roster. 

Belichick echoed that sentiment on Friday.

"Malik's really worked hard and made a lot of improvement. He never really played in the kicking game at Louisville, so he's started to show up there, never played receiver – didn't look very good either, in the spring, but he's really improved there. He can catch the ball, but just route running and finding zones and things like that. But, it's come pretty naturally to him," said Belichick. "He plays a good amount of quarterback. He's competent there. He's a smart kid, works hard, and the opportunities he's had, he's shown a lot of improvement. 

"It's a little too early for an induction ceremony here," Belichick added with a wry smile. "But definitely a lot of improvement."   

Could the quarterback/receiver see some game action in the near future?

"He's definitely trending towards – anybody who keeps improving is going to eventually probably get an opportunity to play," Belichick said.

The Patriots' issues go a lot further than quarterback. But if the team is still looking for a spark at the position after their trip to Vegas, Belichick and company may have no choice but to turn to the great unknown with Grier or Cunningham.