It’s all Zappening.
Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe changed Mac Jones at quarterback for the crew’s first offensive drive within the second quarter of their “Monday Evening Soccer” conflict in opposition to the Bears.
Getting into with New England trailing 10-0, and Jones and the Patriots offense struggling, it took Zappe simply 4 performs to search out the tip zone and minimize the deficit to 10-7. Completions to Jonnu Smith and Rhamondre Stevenson and a Damien Harris rush introduced the Patriots into Bears’ territory. Zappe then accomplished a 30-yard go to Jakobi Meyers for a landing.
Bailey Zappe tosses a landing go to DeVante Parker.
Mac Jones slides throughout the first quarter.
Bailey Zappe, left, and Mac Jones heat up previous to the sport.
Zappe, 23, was again at it simply moments later, as Myles Barrett’s interception off Justin Fields handed the ball proper again to the Patriots offense at midfield. Zappe promptly tossed a 43-yard bomb to DeVante Parker to carry the Patriots to the 7-yard line earlier than Stevenson discovered the tip zone on a rush to offer New England a 14-10 lead at Gillette Stadium.
In simply over 5 minutes after getting into the sport, Zappe led the Patriots to 14 factors and turned the competition on its head.
The Patriots had reportedly been planning to make use of each Jones and Zappe in some capability, as Jones was making his return from a sprained ankle that stored him sidelined since Week 3. Zappe’s performances instead of the crew’s first-round choose final 12 months, nevertheless, have prompted newfound quarterback controversy in New England.
Zappe, whom the Patriots chosen within the fourth spherical out of Western Kentucky, gained each his begins at quarterback and accomplished 72.9 p.c of his passes for 596 yards, 4 touchdowns and only one interception answerable for the offense getting into Monday. He had a 111.4 passer ranking in that fill-in responsibility.
He got here out for a 3rd straight collection to shut the second half, after the Bears scored to regain the lead. That’s when actuality hit, because the Bears’ 23 unanswered factors promptly lifted them to a 33-14 win. Zappe threw two interceptions within the second half, and the Patriots failed to attain once more within the defeat.
Jones by no means re-entered the sport.
Jones, whom the crew chosen with the No. 15 general select of Alabama final 12 months, had accomplished simply three of six passes for 13 yards and an interception earlier than Zappe entered. Jones equally struggled in three video games earlier than getting injured, throwing 5 interceptions to simply two touchdowns because the crew bought off to a 1-2 begin.
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