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

[IcyPatriot]

I think Zappe will be fine as a backup ...
But he needs to be mobile ... stuck in the pocket he cannot see the field.
Cunningham I said weeks ago ... IR for him ... build the body and a NFL QB brain ... some disagreed.

 

[Ian]

Just got home from the game and that was awful. Hotter than BALLS and boring as hell. Literally almost fell asleep. I hope Zappe fever is over and it was nice seeing Mapu out there. Jack Jones also looked terrible….like really bad.

Hope you at least had a good time and feel free to share some photos if you snapped any good ones

 

[TheRainMaker]

There’s no way Bill was fine with the effort by Jack Jones. He was awful.

 

[Ian]

I'm a bit concerned about backup QB overall. Zappe struggled all preseason and McSorley did nothing. I'd feel better if there was a somewhat serviceable experienced veteran in that room behind Mac.

I’d be willing to bet they may explore an option there ahead of Cunningham during roster cutdowns. Too much uncertainty with a significant amount at stake this season. I just don’t know whether or not someone wouldn’t snag him if Bill put him on waivers. Not ready to give up on Zappe since the kid has proved he can play in a pinch, but Cunningham definitely complicates things.

 

[Love The Drake]

I

There’s no way Bill was fine with the effort by Jack Jones. He was awful.

I think the legal stuff is eating at him.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Hope you at least had a good time and feel free to share some photos if you snapped any good ones

I put some in the GDT, my daughter had fun that’s what counts more. I was disappointed but hey, preseason I guess

 

[Kdo5]

My main takeaway is not by what happened in the game but by who didn’t play. Kayshon Boutte not playing tells me he is on the 53, which makes me happy.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

Zappe is not an NFL QB. Too short, arm too weak, indecisive.
Pats had their chance and could have traded a fourth for Lance, who will be an ascending talent.
The team and coaches have really demonstrated no reason for optimism for the season.

I think it was a huge mistake to not bring in true competition for MAC during training camp.

 

[patfanken]

Channel surfing during commercials during the game and they lost me for 20 minutes when I caught the Vienna Symphony playing Bolero. THAT's how bad a game that was. But here a few thoughts anyway.

Sam Roberts and Perkins made their cases to make the roster. Munson had a fine game and can only hope that someone else thought he had a fine game too, because there is no room for him in the LB room.

Interesting in how long Jack Jones played in the game. It made me feel like Bill knows something will be coming down from Der Fuhrer on Park Ave and Bill wanted to give him as many reps as he can because he's likely going to miss the first month of the season......at least.

Speaking about things that happen in NYC, Bill's challenge of whether Willis was down as he throw a ball to no one was a no brainer. It looked like BOTH knees were down before the ball left his hand. It was DEFINITIVE proof, and NY said otherwise. Why was I not shocked.

No one on the offense looked sharp, thought I thought the interior pass protection looked decent, though I have to admit I wasn't paying much attention and the game wasn't worth recording and filling up my DVR. The pressures I saw seem to come off the edges.

Still trying to rap my head around going into a regular season game with so FEW game reps, or even live joint practise reps. It seemed that back in the day it took a week of padded double sessions before your body was able to absorb the constant hitting. Now it seems the entire team isn't getting that many hits for the ENTIRE preseason. How are they NOT going to be hurting bad after 60-70 intense regular season hitting. Sorry but I'm having a problem wrapping my head around it.

This goes for Mac too. I think he should have taken at least 2 series and maybe more. I KNOW the OL wasn't fulll of backups or not even backups, but Your QB had a horrible year compared to his first year, with a LOT of adversity. Now while he might be "familiar" with BOB's offense, it still is his 3rd different offensive system in 3 years and I believe he needs the reps.....which he DIDN'T get.

On the plus side of having to face one of the 2 Superbowl teams on opening day, the Eagles are in the same boat kind of passing up the contact during the preseason and "resting" starters. Playing them in game one might be the best chance to sneak past them.

Everyone's binkey (including me) after game one, Malik Cunningham, hasn't done anything the last 2 games to make it seem teams will be salivating to grab him for their 53.

I'm hoping that kid, Thyck, gets to the PS. I like his size and apparent game speed. Need work and the PS is a good place for him to start.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

A lot of people also put a lot of pressure on Zappe this preseason when the kid was still trying to find himself after a long offseason where he clearly put a lot of work in to fix his own issues as well as get stronger. But obviously, he's still adjusting with the whole arm angle thing he focused on. Factor in their offensive line issues, and it was a recipe for a tough performance.

But it's a reminder that a lot of the issues Jones dealt with last year were indeed real and went beyond people just making excuses for him. It's tough for any QB to be successful in that situation, regardless of how well you move around the pocket. Zappe will figure it out, but I'm sure it was probably a bit of a wake-up call for him.

Overall, hopefully, the starting line is a little more stable in a couple of weeks when they face the Eagles. That's going to ultimately decide how far they go, and with Reiff getting injured, it's another problem that will be something to watch. Would be nice to see them potentially land someone else who might be serviceable when the rosters get pared down. Fingers crossed there.

Not sure how you can be confident Zappe "will figure it out". He has physical limitations that are not fixable and his lack of pocket presence and awareness is not easily fixable. There are backup qb's out there with far more upside than Zappe.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Zappe is not an NFL QB. Too short, arm too weak, indecisive.
Pats had their chance and could have traded a fourth for Lance, who will be an ascending talent.
The team and coaches have really demonstrated no reason for optimism for the season.

I think it was a huge mistake to not bring in true competition for MAC during training camp.

An ascending talent. This statement tells me you haven’t seen Lance this preseason.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

An ascending talent. This statement tells me you haven’t seen Lance this preseason.

he will be an ascending talent when a team gives him some time to learn. Has all the physical skills and he is not a dummy.
I am confident he is ascending relative to Zappe

 

[IcyPatriot]

 

[Tunescribe]

I’d be willing to bet they may explore an option there ahead of Cunningham during roster cutdowns. Too much uncertainty with a significant amount at stake this season. I just don’t know whether or not someone wouldn’t snag him if Bill put him on waivers. Not ready to give up on Zappe since the kid has proved he can play in a pinch, but Cunningham definitely complicates things.

Zappe played well in a pinch as an unknown quantity last season, but I have doubts that will carry over to this year. Losing Cunningham doesn't worry me, he's just really raw and not physically there yet. If they want to invest in developing him, fine.

 

[Joker]

Pluses tonight AFAIC...

Munson...all over the field...made ST's tonight

Perkins...played hard every snap in 100 degree heat, cramping up, played the entire game...6 solos..9 tackles...keeper

Sam Roberts....played himself off the bubble tonight...really bounced back from the crapshow he had last week....

Pierre Strong...hard running...good receiving...I keep him over any of the others besides Rham and Elliot

Minuses....
this entire O line

the amateurish, absolutely ineffective play of Zappe

We're looking at a Buffalo opening day slaughter from 20 years ago if THIS is the O line play they intend to trot out there. Perhaps this is BB's plan going into the season but I don't think it will fire up THIS offense like it did back then.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

he will be an ascending talent when a team gives him some time to learn. Has all the physical skills and he is not a dummy.
I am confident he is ascending relative to Zappe

How much time are you willing to give him? He’s in year 3 and has shown no improvement from his rookie season. I agree QB competition is good but I’m afraid Lance would be no competition for Mac.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

It seems Trey Lance was available…..was

Part of the problem is that he had $5M+ fully guaranteed for next year, which is more than Mac would make.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That ship has sailed I think. He didn’t exactly depart here on the best of terms.

I think the issue is that they saw Hoyer as having two duties: (1) mentor the younguns, and (2) fill in if something happens to the starter. He did the former just fine, but he's failed miserably—once his fault, once by injury—at the latter.

 

[DaBruinz]

Zappe is not an NFL QB. Too short, arm too weak, indecisive.
Pats had their chance and could have traded a fourth for Lance, who will be an ascending talent.
The team and coaches have really demonstrated no reason for optimism for the season.

I think it was a huge mistake to not bring in true competition for MAC during training camp.

Does that mean you're going to disappear between now and February??

 

[Wozzy]

Pile on Zappe all you want, the blocking from Stueber, Hines and Ferentz was horrid. His second half offensive line was doubly worse. His receivers were Cunningham, Pitts and Webb... so not only was nobody getting open, but there was no time to get them open.

They played Zappe a lot because he's the only real QB they had available to get real looks from their offense. McSorely should never see an NFL roster again, Cunningham is a project I'm not sure the Patriots should bother with.

Game three is an extensive look at the back half of the roster. The score is irrelevant. Individual players looked good and got extended looks. Some players cemented their roles from what I saw. The Players I expected and wanted to play well mostly did.