FOXBORO — Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the Chargers served as a tease for Patriots fans desperate to see what the team’s struggling offense would look like with rookie Malik Cunningham involved.

Cunningham, who has practiced at quarterback and wide receiver this season, was elevated from the practice squad this week but was one of three players, along with benched quarterback Mac Jones and rookie center Jake Andrews who didn’t enter the game. He told the Herald after the game that there was a package of plays for him in the gameplan.

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“We did what we thought was best,” head coach Bill Belichick said after the shutout loss when asked if there was any thought of inserting Cunningham to provide a spark off of the bench.

Belichick was asked a follow-up question about why he thought keeping Cunningham, a college quarterback who has mostly converted to wide receiver in the NFL, on the bench was best for the team.

“I think we had times where we got things going. We wanted to try to stay with what we were doing,” Belichick said.

The Patriots never got inside the red zone. The closest they got was with 6:58 left in the game when they turned the ball over on downs from the Chargers’ 30-yard line. Starting quarterback Bailey Zappe went 13-of-25 for 141 yards. Four of the Patriots’ 11 drives ended in a three-and-out, and they ran just one play in their final offensive series before the half.

This was just the second time Cunningham was on the gameday roster this season. Belichick was asked if the team had a plan for Cunningham when he was elevated on Saturday.

“Plan for Malik’s if we put him in there to do the things that he does, be ready to go,” Belichick said.

One theory about Cunningham’s lack of playing time is that his package was red-zone specific. Another theory is that the Patriots weren’t confident in his ball security in Sunday’s inclement weather.

Belichick was asked if Cunningham would have entered the game if the Patriots got into the red zone.

“Look, I mean, there’s a million hypothetical questions that we could talk about,” Belichick said. “What happened happened.”

The Patriots play Thursday night against the Steelers. Belichick wouldn’t announce a starting quarterback after the game.