Is Bailey Zappe the answer the Patriots have been looking for to solve their offensive woes?
Four days after the Patriots were shut out by the Chargers at home, Zappe threw three touchdowns passes against the Steelers during the first half of “Thursday Night Football” as New England rolled to a 21-18 win.
The 24-year-old didn’t turn the ball over in Week 13, but the Patriots still couldn’t find the back of the end zone as he went just 13 of 25 for 141 yards.
But this week has been a different story.
Zappe went 14-for-21 for 196 passing yards while averaging 9.3 yards per throw in the first two quarters against the Steelers.
To start off the scoring, the Patriots quarterback capped an eight-play, 75-yard opening drive with a short pass to Ezekiel Elliott for the 11-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to go up 7-0.
The normally stoic Zappe let loose when Elliott scored, the first time all year New England has reached the end zone on its opening possession.
“It’s really hard to score touchdowns in the NFL,” Zappe said, according to the Associated Press. “You’ve got to celebrate each one.”
Zappe’s second touchdown throw of the game came on an eight-yard strike to Hunter Henry in the second quarter, just two plays after the Jabrill Peppers intercepted a Mitch Trubisky pass and took it back 32 yards.
But perhaps the most impressive play came on Zappe’s third touchdown, which resulted in a highlight-reel throw.
Zappe sent a 24-yard dime down the near sideline to Henry for his second score of the game, and astonishing the Prime Video broadcast crew, as play-by-play man Al Michaels let out a loud “whoa” after the score.
While he didn’t add any scores in the second half, Zappe finished the game going 19 of 28 passing for 240 yards.
The Thursday night game marked the first time in his professional career that Zappe has thrown at least three touchdown passes in a single game.
To find any football game that Zappe has thrown that many touchdowns in a game, you’d have to go back to his lone season at Western Kentucky in 2021 when he threw at least that many in all of his 14 contests.
It has been an interesting season for Zappe, who was initially cut by New England at the end of training camp.
During the “Thursday Night Football” broadcast, Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung reported an interesting tidbit about Zappe’s rationale for staying.
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“Zappe said it was a wake-up call when he got cut by the Patriots in camp,” Hartung reported. “And yet even as signed with their practice squad the very next day he told [his Western Kentucky offensive coordinator Zach] Kittley, ‘Trust me, I’ve got this. Eventually, I’ll be the starter.’”
He ended up signing with the practice squad and staying with the Patriots and has since seen sporadic game action with Mac Jones struggling.