PostGame Thread Official Preseason Game 3: Patriots Lose 23-7 to the Titans - REACTIONS Thread

[chasa]

Bailey Zappe Fumbled 4 more time's on his way back to the locker room.

 

[Family]

Honestly, the Zappe situation is just a case of people needing to lower their expectations, sort of like with Mac. Mac is a solid player who has shown he can win and be a decent starter, with the unknown being just how good of a player he can be. Zappe has shown he can be a capable backup who can come in and win a couple of games if they need him to. If he can eventually get to Hoyer's level, I don't think many of us would be unhappy with that. But trying to put him on this pedestal the way people did when he started and won 2 out of 17 games last season was just unrealistic.

Either way, last night was a reminder that the offensive line situation also remains a concern, regardless of who is back there. So hopefully, they get that figured out heading into the season. Obviously, there were no starters out there, but having not watched it back yet, I don't even know if any of those guys played well enough to feel like there was much to build off of.

Zappe is a solid backup. As you mentioned he proved that last year filling in.

As with many career backups, more becomes less.

 

[1960Pats]

I wanted the Patriots to get that guy a while ago.

Me too. He would have been an improvement over Cant Newton and Steve Grogan wouldn't be tied for the Pats record for TDs by a QB

 

[PP2]

Zappe is a solid backup. As you mentioned he proved that last year filling in.

As with may career backups, more becomes less.

It, however, is troubling when you see a backup quarterback play nearly all the snaps in the last preseason game. That is usually a sign that they are showcasing him for a trade.

 

[Family]

It, however, is troubling when you see a backup quarterback play nearly all the snaps in the last preseason game. That is usually a sign that they are showcasing him for a trade.

Would you consider that mission accomplished?

I don't agree. This could be all the reps Zappe gets the entire season.

This is more indicative that they are going with only two QB's, and wanted to get the backup some work.

 

[PP2]

Would you consider that mission accomplished?

I don't agree. This could be all the reps Zappe gets the entire season.

This is more indicative that they are going with only two QB's, and wanted to get the backup some work.

If BB was happy with Zappe, McSorely would have played the entire 2nd half.

It could be a case of punishing Zappe for his sloppiness; who knows?

I think Cunningham is proving to be far more of a QB than they were initially expecting. A true dual-threat.

 

[Salsalife]

Didn't see that? Bad oysters?

 

[Family]

If BB was happy with Zappe, McSorely would have played the entire 2nd half.

It could be a case of punishing Zappe for his sloppiness; who knows?

I agree, except one change. If Zappe looked in sync and ready, Bill would have pulled the plug to leave him on a positive note. Plus, Zappe would have shown he didn't need the reps to be ready.

I don't see the decision as punishment or BB being happy. It's getting Zappe ready to backup for the regular season, which Bill concluded was best with more reps.

 

[Ross12]

From Bill’s conference call this morning:

On a Saturday morning conference call, the Patriots coach lauded Boutte’s summer, saying the sixth-rounder delivered a “strong camp.”

“As camp went on, seemed to get stronger and more productive both in practice and games,” Belichick said. “Really in all the areas that he worked into, so that was very encouraging. He showed an explosive ability on the field when he played. So he’s had a good camp. We’ll take a look at everything here as we put things together here over the weekend and heading into the regular season, but yeah, Kayshon has had a strong camp.”

Bill Belichick: ‘Explosive’ Patriots rookie WR delivered ‘strong camp’

Kayshon Boutte drew some real praise from Bill Belichick on Saturday morning.

www.masslive.com

 

[Salsalife]

What did the preseason tell me? Lack of talent coming up the ranks. Preseason doesn't matter I know but this game was bad. Ok. We saved the talent for the reg season. Ok. I'm in.

 

[PP2]

I agree, except one change. If Zappe looked in sync and ready, Bill would have pulled the plug to leave him on a positive note. Plus, Zappe would have shown he didn't need the reps to be ready.

I don't see the decision as punishment or BB being happy. It's getting Zappe ready to backup for the regular season, which Bill concluded was best with more reps.

I like to speculate recklessly.

Cunningham is making the team.

 

[Sicilian]

Weird that I'm going to have a lot more positives than negatives after a two score loss, but here we go:

Positives:

- Jennings with another strong game. We have good depth on the edge.
- Munson showing enough on defense that you can keep him for ST and not consider it a ST-only slot.
- Pierre Strong with a nice effort in his first game back from injury.
- Roberts with a strong rebound. Run defense in general was good. No Henry but I think a lot of their starting OL was playing, and our guys were in the backfield all night.
- It was good to see Mapu out there for the first time. I thought he looked really good at LB, but less so when he was moved back to safety. Makes sense, since he played LB in college so more of those instincts are there, and he wasn't BAD at safety, just always seemed to be a step behind everything. Some of that could be role/scheme, but room to grow for the kid after his first game (so says Captain Obvious).
- Boutte not playing much tells me he's making the team. It's exciting to have two rookie WR with some real potential going into the season.

Negatives:

- Zappe. I feel for the kid, because he's playing behind a 3rd string OL and his top receiver was Thyrick Pitts. I wouldn't expect the results to be good there. But, he just looked lost, and his ball security was the kind of weakness that can lose you games you should win.
- Cunningham hype is muffled. Another kid I feel bad for, because he's being asked to do A LOT. But I think he could use a year on the PS if they can get him there.
- OL looked bad, but other than Sow and Reiff (if he's not hurt now), none of them are likely to be active on gameday once Onwenu and Strange are back.

Neutral:

- JJ Taylor was hard to evaluate because of the OL, but he still looks nimble. He's also good to keep for KR, just keep him away from PR.
- Jack Jones. His head might be elsewhere right now, and he wasn't as sticky in coverage as I'd like. But other than the stiffarm, he was physical in the run game. I don't think effort was the problem, and when he's the "weak" link in a secondary with Gonzalez, Jon Jones, Dugger, and Mills/Phillips, he'll look a lot better than when he's the "strong" link in one with Bledsoe, Hawkins, and Mosely.

 

[FCB02062]

bold prediction - the Pats will sign one or more guys cut from other teams and said player(s) will play a considerable # of snaps for this team. The lack of talent on this roster is absolutely astounding.
In prior pre seasons there was always some wr or rb (or even QB) who turned some heads (like Tyquan Thornton in the film room) and we'd feel some degree of confidence in the depth on this team.
There is no depth, none, zilch, nada. none of the receivers that played last night have any business being on an XFL roster, nevermind an NFL roster. The offensive line was a complete sieve.
Was Bill the GM smoking crack when he assembled this team? I'm talking offense here because in 2023 you need POINTS to win.
We've seen time and time again that Bill the Coach's defenses wilt vs good teams and the offense can't score more than 21 points without major f#ck ups from the other team.
You cannot win in 2023 with FOLK! as many in here seem to think.
I'm now convinced that Bill the Coach still thinks he can win in 2023 with special teams, defense, and 20 points.

 

[catent]

IF our Starting OL don't play significantly better we might be saying the same thing about Mac.

Right? It's a bit funny reading a certain someone's post bemoaning Zappe's ball security and overall disappointing play (in spite of the issues around him) because it's a mirror image of the Mac situation last season (yet that certain someone had a very different analysis under those circumstances). Yes, the situation around Mac (last season) was horrid but Mac himself was disappointing.

Perspective is everything, which is informed by bias (implicit or otherwise), assumptions, etc.

I'm happy with both Mac and Zappe going into the season. Mac is clearly the starter and I think that is for the best; I was a big Zappe guy (and still am), but I think Mac should be starting out the gates. Whether or not that lasts will come down to Mac's play; let's see how he performs when the games matter.

 

[sb1]

Zappe is a solid backup. As you mentioned he proved that last year filling in.

As with many career backups, more becomes less.

Agreed. Fine in small doses but that’s it.

It’s also interesting that it seems most “Zappe fans” are really Mac haters more than actually liking #4. This team will never crater on BB’s watch and get a top 3 pick in the draft so unless there’s another way to get a franchise QB here Mac’s our guy for now. This is what other teams go through in the league all the time.

 

[Wozzy]

I like to speculate recklessly.

Cunningham is making the team.

Not a chance, unless you mean the practice squad.

 

[PatsFan2]

IF our Starting OL don't play significantly better we might be saying the same thing about Mac.

I know only you would disagree with that statement ^TunescribeHarry.

 

[sb1]

I think Cunningham is safe on the PR.

 

[PatsFan2]

Zappe is locked in to QB2. Wentz is available and he’s better than McSorely….maybe. Doubt he would agree to be a QB3.

I would take Wentz I don't think there's a significant dropoff form him to anybody here.The current Patriots are not exactly a QB haven we are bottom dwellers at the moment.

 

[catent]

Agreed. Fine in small doses but that’s it.

It’s also interesting that it seems most “Zappe fans” are really Mac haters more than actually liking #4. This team will never crater on BB’s watch and get a top 3 pick in the draft so unless there’s another way to get a franchise QB here Mac’s our guy for now. This is what other teams go through in the league all the time. No point pretending the backup is a superstar.

You frequently misrepresent others' points and throw out talk-radio sensationalized junk like this.

Zappe fans = Mac haters
Or maybe they just like Zappe?
Or were disappointed with Mac's play last season?
Would it be fair of me to call Mac fans Zappe haters? No, it wouldn't.

No one is their right mind has ever pretended Zappe is a superstar. That's insanity ... but it is a good way to create a faux strawman to prop up your soundbite posts.

Divide and stir the pot more.
Stop putting words in others' mouths and labeling them; that's part-and-parcel with the terrible atmosphere around modern social media.