NEW ARTICLE: Zappe’s Emergence is Certainly Changing Patriots’ QB Conversation

[VectorPrime]

Zappe is not a starter in this league. Period.

Backup maybe. But there are also better backups than him in the league.

He’s too full of himself to be a backup. He should join that XFL-USFL merged league

 

[BennyBledsoe]

He COULD be. But he's still making the same processing mistakes he has his whole career. Could he get over them? Yeah, but year three, the light hasn't clicked on with the kid. Unlike Mac who completely self-destructed, this is just what Zappe's always been.

 

[Toofy]

He COULD be. But he's still making the same processing mistakes he has his whole career. Could he get over them? Yeah, but year three, the light hasn't clicked on with the kid. Unlike Mac who completely self-destructed, this is just what Zappe's always been.

It's year 2 actually

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Huh, always thought of him as being drafted same year as Mac. Point still stands about his career being a flatline, though.

 

[Jim Beankie]

I actually like Zappe even after this game... He might not be a starting QB next year, but it sounds like he acknowledges specific stuff that he did wrong, taking the blame for 2 of the 3 INTs.

Game Observations: Eight Takeaways From the Patriots Loss to the Bills in Week 17

Four first-half turnovers buried the Patriots in Buffalo on Sunday, but the Pats defense is making progress against Bills star QB Josh Allen.

www.patriots.com

 

[sb1]

Triumph is right it’s week 5 and Zappe is taking over the NFL. Clearly Josh Allen didn’t work as hard all offseason as the smurf did and it shows.

 

[Patjew]

I like Zappe more than Mac, mostly because he seems to be not as much of a douche. But neither of them are even mediocre NFL quarterbacks. There is enough talent on this team that a capable quarterback could make them competitive.

 

[Tunescribe]

I like Zappe more than Mac, mostly because he seems to be not as much of a douche. But neither of them are even mediocre NFL quarterbacks. There is enough talent on this team that a capable quarterback could make them competitive.

Zappe is a douche in his own way, though. Too full of himself and loving the spotlight a bit much vs. deferring to his teammates. He was the main reason for the loss today, of course. I don't want either of those two back next season, the Patriots should be able to do better for both starter and backup.

 

[VectorPrime]

Zappe is a douche in his own way, though. Too full of himself and loving the spotlight a bit much vs. deferring to his teammates. He was the main reason for the loss today, of course. I don't want either of those two back next season, the Patriots should be able to do better for both starter and backup.

…dear lord i actually agree with you

 

[skinnydog]

Passing on a star player at a different position to draft a bust QB doesn’t make you a better team.

No team has ever built a Super Bowl winner or even a contender around a LT or WR. If you just want a “better” team then sure go for that LT or WR, but if you want to contend for deep playoff runs you search for a QB til you find one.

 

[skinnydog]

Maybe we should give Zappe the opportunity to determine his level by his play?

The Pats cut him before the season. He was the backup to Jones until Jones proved he is awful.

 

[sb1]

Zappe is a douche in his own way, though. Too full of himself and loving the spotlight a bit much vs. deferring to his teammates. He was the main reason for the loss today, of course. I don't want either of those two back next season, the Patriots should be able to do better for both starter and backup.

That shouldn't be too difficult. Hopefully.

 

[venecol]

Zappe is a douche in his own way, though. Too full of himself and loving the spotlight a bit much vs. deferring to his teammates.

Well, you certainly didn't have that attitude when anyone criticized your boy Mac. Zappe is the anti-Mac in attitude, pocket presence and grit. QBs are supposed to be confident. He also hasn't even started half a season worth of games. Remember when you said it was only fair to wait until Mac's 3rd season to evaluate him?

These were his receivers against a top 10 defense in passing yds, sacks, INTs and Rtg.

He was the main reason for the loss today, of course. I don't want either of those two back next season, the Patriots should be able to do better for both starter and backup.

Stidham (0-0)
Hoyer (0-2)
Cam (7-8)
Mac (18-25)
Zappe (4-3)
Malik (0-0)
the rest of the no name scrubs

These are the QBs that Bill played in games the last 4 seasons. I see a pattern here. What makes you think anything is going to change? Hope? Lol

BTW, Zappe is the only QB since 2018 that won't have a losing record (assuming he beats the Jete) in the months of Dec-Jan. Not bad considering he's playing with the worse team in any of those years.

 

[Tunescribe]

Well, you certainly didn't have that attitude when anyone criticized your boy Mac. Zappe is the anti-Mac in attitude, pocket presence and grit. QBs are supposed to be confident. He also hasn't even started half a season worth of games. Remember when you said it was only fair to wait until Mac's 3rd season to evaluate him?

These were his receivers against a top 10 defense in passing yds, sacks, INTs and Rtg.




Stidham (0-0)
Hoyer (0-2)
Cam (7-8)
Mac (18-25)
Zappe (4-3)
Malik (0-0)
the rest of the no name scrubs

These are the QBs that Bill played in games the last 4 seasons. I see a pattern here. What makes you think anything is going to change? Hope? Lol

BTW, Zappe is the only QB since 2018 that won't have a losing record (assuming he beats the Jete) in the months of Dec-Jan. Not bad considering he's playing with the worse team in any of those years.

I don't know what tree you think you're barking up but Mac never was "my boy." Unlike you I simply wanted him to succeed because he was who the Patriots started at quarterback. He got his chance to prove himself worthy of a first-round investment and failed, so that page was turned and rightfully so. Zappe hasn't exactly set the world on fire but has shown welcome improvement since his poor training camp performance, practice squad stint and getting cut.

I'm invested in this team winning regardless of who's behind center. You consider Zappe a starting-caliber franchise quarterback. I don't, at least not to this point but would be very happy to be proven wrong. Perhaps the impending coaching change will fuel HOPE that fortunes at the position improve as needed, whoever it is. That even could include your boy Bailey, who I'm pulling for to beat the Jete on Sunday.

 

[sb1]

don't, at least not to this point but would be very happy to be proven wrong.

It’s interesting that whenever someone tries to argue Zappe is a viable starter in this league you can almost always sum that argument up that he checks the boxes of a serviceable BACKUP quarterback in the league and he’s not Mac Jones. Ok cool? Mac Jones in 2023 is a very low bar…I would hope he clears at least that level.

 

[Wozzy]

The 2023 Patriot's have only scored 21 points or more four times this entire season... three of those four games were with Zappe starting.

Zappe made mistakes early yesterday, but he fought back instead of turtling and shrinking. Mac was usually done by halftime because he folded like a cheap suit. Zappe also played with a worse line and weapons than Mac due to injuries.

Zappe may not be the answer at starter, but he has the chance to improve and be a bridge QB, backup or eventual starter because he has resiliency. Mac is soft and mentally weak, I doubt he'll ever turn it around.

The Pats need more competition at QB, a better healthier offensive line and some WR depth/speed this offseason.

 

[jdlboot14]

Stidham won yesterday with Lil'Jordan Humphrey as his leading receiver.
So, is Zappe really anything to remember for next year?

I want a total reboot in QB. We have some good pieces at OL, RB, TE, WR - and will add more through draft/FA - but we need a true QB.
I'm all in on stealing Cousins from MIN. Rookies are going to struggle for a couple years.

 

[Tunescribe]

It’s interesting that whenever someone tries to argue Zappe is a viable starter in this league you can almost always sum that argument up that he checks the boxes of a serviceable BACKUP quarterback in the league and he’s not Mac Jones. Ok cool? Mac Jones in 2023 is a very low bar…I would hope he clears at least that level.

I go back and forth with myself on this concept of "serviceable backup" being a reasonable ceiling for reserve QB. By definition that would seem to mean spot play only. Is Zappe capable of carrying a team if pressed into duty for most of a season, a la Matt Cassel? His physical limitations would be a concern in that respect, but who the hell knows.

What's curious about Zappe is he appears to be showing better in games than he otherwise has to the coaching staff. Mac was the complete opposite.

 

[Rob0729]

The 2023 Patriot's have only scored 21 points or more four times this entire season... three of those four games were with Zappe starting.

That’s misleading. Two of the games where the Patriots scored 21 or more points with Zappe as a starter, the only reason is because of special teams TDs. The offense has scored 21 point once with Zappe as a starter (Pittsburgh).

Yesterday, the Pats only scored 14 points on offense, but 21 points in total. Reagor scored a kick return TD. Even if Ryland didn‘t blow his two field goal attempts, it would have only been 20 point.

Against Denver, the Pats scored 19 points on offense and 26 in total. The Pats scored a special teams TD recovering a fumble in the end zone.

The offense has been bottom of the league with both Zappe and Mac because neither QB is a starter at this point and there is little to no talent on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I actually like Zappe even after this game... He might not be a starting QB next year, but it sounds like he acknowledges specific stuff that he did wrong, taking the blame for 2 of the 3 INTs.

Game Observations: Eight Takeaways From the Patriots Loss to the Bills in Week 17

Four first-half turnovers buried the Patriots in Buffalo on Sunday, but the Pats defense is making progress against Bills star QB Josh Allen.

www.patriots.com

Yeah, I feel like I saw a different game yesterday than everyone else; but of course, that’s because I turned the game on as he threw the 3rd interception and watched everything else from there. The 3rd int was clearly on Reager, so much so that even the color analyst pointed it out, and then James White posted it on Twitter.

For the rest of the game, I saw Zappe playing behind the ****tiest offensive line I’ve ever seen, with the Bills blitzing on almost every down because why not, throwing to among the ****tiest group of receivers I’ve ever seen (Douglas excepted, who continues to impress me). I saw zero panic, few bad decisions, zero throws off his back foot under pressure, keeping his head looking downfield while under pressure. Stepped up to avoid many sacks, with the sacks taken being unavoidable. All of this after being down 13 points early in a game where he already threw 3 picks.

So I looked at the first 2 INTs I missed this morning and saw the first one being the right decision but an inaccurate pass, and the 2nd one being the only poor decision of the bunch where the DB jumped the route.

I still see the same guy I saw before - a guy with an ok arm who needs to work on his accuracy, but has great poise under pressure and pocket presence. This guy can be a very capable backup in the NFL and can win a SB subbing in for a stacked team (like Foles and Hostetler). He also still has time to grow to see if he can improve his arm and accuracy to be a capable starter, but no way in hell do I just assume that he’ll be able to do it — I take Maye or Daniels in the first and have Zappe earn anything from there.

Zappe’s mistakes (inaccuracy first, bad decision 2nd) cost us the game, but his in-game response to this prevented it from being another Dallas and New Orleans (unlike Mac) and led us to being in position to actually win the game today if he had any supporting cast around him on offense at all (I give the Bills a ton of credit for dropping into coverage and rushing only 4 on that final 3rd down, it was a great change up call at the right time).