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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a tough first game back from his injury, but some online sports sleuths think it may not be entirely his fault.
Jones get benched shortly into the second quarter against the Chicago Bears Monday night after he threw an interception to stall out the Patriots' third drive of the game. However, several fans and reporters tweeted out screenshots and videos showing that the ball may have hit the cable used for the SkyCam on the ESPN broadcast.
NFL rules state that if a ball in play strikes an object like a SkyCam wire, the ball will be ruled dead and the previous down must be replayed. If the ball had actually struck the wire, that means Jones' interception should not have counted and he may not have been pulled from the game.
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ESPN, however, disagrees with the fan and media speculation. In a statement posted to Twitter, ESPN said the video is misleading and that the ball did in fact not touch the wire.
Regardless, Jones got pulled from the game against the Bears and rookie Bailey Zappe took over and scored back-to-back touchdowns, before struggling in the second half. ESPN's Field Yates reports that despite this, there is a good chance Jones will start this Sunday against the New York Jets.
WBZ's Brian Antonelli (@GuPogs) reports.
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