What we know about Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer
FOXBORO — With Mac Jones dealing with a reported "pretty severe" high ankle sprain, it seems very likely that Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer will start on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
On Wednesday, head coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t say which quarterback the team was planning on starting, but did confirm that Hoyer gets the nod if Jones can’t suit up. Hoyer, 36, certainly doesn't lack experience. The 14-year NFL veteran has made 39-career NFL starts and appeared in 75 total games.
This week, Patriots coaches said that the team’s offensive game plan wouldn’t change much if Hoyer starts on Sunday.
“Not too much. Brian has a lot of experience,” Belichick said. “He’s done everything that we would want to do. Mac would be able to do it with minimal practice if that’s what it was. Just take it day-by-day. We’re not really doing anything differently.”
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“Obviously, Brian’s done a lot of things in his career that maybe we implement, maybe we don’t. We don’t want to go ahead and completely turn the offense on its head,” quarterbacks coach Joe Judge said. “We feel like we were making some progress. But at the same time, we’re going to make sure we put guys in a position to succeed.
“There are things we could do different with Brian vs. Mac vs. Bailey [Zappe]. Absolutely for all three of them. But does that mean we’re going to change our identity, what we’re trying to build toward? Not necessarily.”
Hoyer, who took the starting reps in practice on Wednesday, said he feels for Jones.
“You never want to see anybody get hurt ever and we all know Mac’s hunger to compete, to be out there,” Hoyer said. "For me, you support him and also be ready to play in the same sense. That’s just the nature of the job.”
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Hoyer hasn't won much recently
Hoyer threw passes in three games last season — against the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars. He completed 9 of 11 passes (81.8%) for 227 yards to go with a touchdown. For a backup quarterback, Hoyer was solid.
When it comes to starting games, however, wins haven’t been in Hoyer’s favor. If he starts on Sunday, Hoyer will do so having lost his last 11 straight starts. He’s 16-23 in the 39-career games he's started. Over the last five NFL seasons, Hoyer is 0-8 as a starting quarterback.
Hoyer's last win as a starting quarterback was on Oct. 2, 2016, with the Chicago Bears. He threw for 302 passing yards to go with two touchdowns in that contest.
The last time Hoyer started for the Patriots, it happened on short notice. On Oct. 5, 2020, Hoyer was called upon after Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test occurred after the Patriots had a week's worth of practice, so Hoyer started against the Kansas City Chiefs after taking no reps as a starter.
That was seen on the field as Hoyer completed 15 of 24 passes for 130 yards to go with an interception and fumble lost.
“I’ve played for 14 years. I have a lot of bad memories. I have a lot of good memories, too,” Hoyer said. “One game doesn’t define me. One play doesn’t define me. I’m excited for any opportunity I get a chance to play.”
Hoyer made two big mistakes in that game. Prior to halftime, the Patriots were in field goal position and used their last timeout with 33 seconds left on the clock. Instead of attempting a field goal, however, Hoyer was sacked with 10 seconds left on the clock. That caused time to run out and the Pats lost a scoring opportunity.
The Pats were driving again in the third quarter, but Hoyer fumbled at the 10-yard line. He was then benched for Jarrett Stidham.
“That was a unique year, a unique situation,” Hoyer said of the 2020 game in Kansas City. “For me, if I get to get take more practice reps, that’s obviously more beneficial.”
Patriots coaches have faith in Hoyer
Mac Jones missed practice on Wednesday. That left the Patriots with Hoyer and Zappe at quarterback. If that’s how it stays this week, members of the coaching staff have said they're confident in the backup. The main reason is how Hoyer handles his duties in the quarterbacks room.
For the last two years, Hoyer has been a mentor to Jones.
“Brian’s done a really good job for us,” Judge said. “Brian draws from a lot of experience. He’s been a starter in the league. He’s played this role before as a backup. He’s been ready to go.
“One thing Brian always does is, whether it’s practice or in games, he’s always engaged. He’s always ready with a lot of good conversations on the sideline. He’s very engaged looking at the tablets, communicating the sideline things that he may see or things that may come up; that’s always really good. He’s always very, very involved and he’s always ready to take that next snap when he is called on.”
"Hoyer is great to be around,” Patriots offensive play caller Matt Patricia. “His experience, his knowledge, the way he sees the game, and the mental preparation that he does as he's trying to get ready to be in his role through the course of the first three weeks of the season is really impressive.
“I love when you can get around a great veteran player like Hoyer and pick his brain. If you love football, those are great guys to talk to, whether it's coverage, how they see the front, their thoughts and ideas on routes, and even leadership."
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Mac Jones injury: A look at Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer
