Social media detectives determine whether or not SkyCam collision caused Mac Jones interception

There was debate on social media about whether ESPN’s SkyCam caused a pass thrown by New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones to become an interception.

The New England Patriots did not have a good time on Monday Night Football in Week 7. Taking on the Chicago Bears, the Patriots lost convincingly by the score of 33-14. In the first half, quarterback Mac Jones was benched after throwing an interception in the first half. But was it his fault?

There was footage that has surfaced across social media of one of the passes picked off by the Bears defense. Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus retweeted a video shared by a Buffalo Bills fans, which seemingly showed the Jones pass hitting the wire of the ESPN SkyCam.

Did ESPN SkyCam cause Mac Jones interception?

ESPN released a statement once the videos went viral of social media, where they say the football did not hit the wiring and that it “was more than 15 feet above the ball and our SkyCam system followed all NFL protocols.”

Prior to his interception, Jones had led the offense to three-and-outs in their first two drives. Once he threw the pick, head coach Bill Belichick opted to bench Jones in favor of rookie Bailey Zappe.

The fourth-round pick had immediate success, as he led the team to two touchdowns in their next two drives. However, Zappe struggled in the second half, throwing two interceptions.

Jones had completed three-of-six pass attempts for 13 yards and one interception.

The Patriot will look to get back in the win column in Week 8, as they take on the rival New York Jets, who are 5-2 on the year and on a four-game winning streak.