FOXBOROUGH – New England Patriots fans weren't the only ones surprised by the fact that Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe both played in Monday night's 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. A few players on New England's offense were surprised, too.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick told ESPN and later said after the game that the plan was to play both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe as the latter returned from a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss the last three games. However, that was news to Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers. When asked if he knew Zappe would replace Jones after the first three drives of the game, Meyers said “not necessarily.”

“I would say it’s a shock, but we don’t really have time to focus on it too much,” Meyers said. “The bullets are already flying by the time we realized it. You have to go out there and keep making plays.”

Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson bluntly said “we weren't aware” when asked about Belichick's decision to play both Jones and Zappe. Guard Michael Onwenu said the same thing.

“I didn't expect that,” Onwenu told the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan of Zappe coming into the game, adding he didn't know who was playing or starting either, but that it didn't affect the team's game plan.

Patriots tight end Hunter Henry said the decision to put Zappe into the game didn't surprise him, though.

“I mean, everyone has a job to do,” Henry said. “That decision is beyond me and whatever it is, our job is to go out there and execute and do what we have to do.”

Jones and Zappe said they were both aware of their coach's plan, though Zappe said he found out that Jones would be starting at the same time as everyone else. Jones credited Belichick for his communication about the plan throughout the week as Belichick said his decision to remove the second-year quarterback following his interception on his third drive wasn't performance-based.

“I think we had a good plan, as always, just to go throughout the week and figure out what we want to do for the game,” Jones said. “Coach Belichick was very good about communication and felt like I was good to play, and we had a good plan there, and obviously didn't play well enough there.”

Belichick wouldn't say who will start at quarterback for the Patriots in their matchup against the 5-2 New York Jets on Sunday.