NFL Notes: Pats enjoying Zappe Hour | CPT PPP Coverage

Playing quarterback as a rookie is not easy, and doing so as a third-stringer who spends most of his time running the scout team makes the task even more daunting. But Bailey Zappe has made the transition from obscure bench player to the starting spotlight look seamless.

He came off the bench in Green Bay under the worst of circumstances and did enough to give his team a chance to pull off an upset before falling in overtime. He wasn’t asked to do much that afternoon, mostly handing off to his running backs and executing a handful of play-action passes while relying on his defense.

A week later, with starter Mac Jones still unable to return, Zappe prepared for his first start as the Detroit Lions came to town. With a week to prepare as the starter rather than worrying about giving the defense a good look in practice, Zappe was asked to do a little bit more.

And he performed a little bit better.

The game plan was largely the same as against the Packers, lots of runs with a sprinkle of play-action passes in an effort to avoid obvious passing situations. But against the Lions Bill Belichick and his offensive coaching staff allowed Zappe to throw on first down occasionally and had him throw more than just the short, quick stuff he leaned on in his debut.

The results were solid, and Zappe impressed with his poise and patience in the pocket. He consistently waited for his receivers to clear the underneath coverage and generally delivered accurate balls that allowed his receivers opportunities to pick up some yardage after the catch.

Jakobi Meyers was the most frequent recipient with seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in his return to the lineup after missing two games with a knee injury. Some of the throws to Meyers were the most impressive, particularly an early one on third down.

With the Patriots leading 3-0, they faced a third-and-5 from their own 8 after taking over at their 3 following Jack Jones’ interception. A quick three-and-out would have given the Lions the ball right back, likely with solid field position and a chance to get on the board.

Instead Meyers ran an effective route with a quick move inside before breaking back toward the sideline. Zappe read the situation perfectly, delivered a well-timed pass to Meyers’ outside shoulder by the sticks and watched his wideout turn upfield for a 12-yard pickup. The drive eventually ended with the second of Nick Folk’s five field goals,

It was one of the rare pressure plays Zappe faced on an otherwise stress-free day, and the rookie was up to the task.

Later, Zappe showed excellent patience while climbing the pocket before finding Meyers on a shallow cross for a solid gain, and shortly thereafter on a beautifully executed touchdown when Meyers got in the seam between a pair of defenders.

Yes, it was the Lions and their 32nd-ranked defense on the other side and yes, the Patriots failed to convert in the red zone while settling for far too many field goals. But the progress Zappe showed in one week was quite impressive.

So, what does it mean in the big picture? In terms of impacting Jones, probably very little. Jones is in his second season, and while he got off to a rocky start he also has been asked to do much more than Zappe. The Patriots offense was making an effort to push the ball downfield and perhaps be a little less reliant on the running game. And unlike Zappe, Jones was forced to operate while trailing by multiple scores against Miami and Baltimore, and that’s when the mistakes piled up. Any calls for Zappe to take the reins over a healthy Jones are quite premature at this stage, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a ton of credit. More importantly, Belichick might also be learning that the rookie is more than capable of serving as the main backup moving forward, and that’s no small thing.

Rather than tying up valuable cap dollars on a veteran backup like Brian Hoyer, Belichick might turn it over to Zappe in 2023 and save a roster spot in the process.

All of that is well down the road, but for now most everyone seems to be enjoying Zappe hour.