Bailey Zappe has performed well in Mac Jones’s absence. Tommy Burch thinks he may take the reigns of the offense and explains why.
Bailey Zappe’s Case To Start Ahead Of Mac Jones
After the Mac Jones ankle sprain, 4th round rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe stepped in and performed. After throwing quite efficiently and keeping the game close with Aaron Rodgers, some speculated there was more to Zappe. After his performance against the Lions, those speculations gained some weight.
What Zappe is Doing Well
Plainly put, Zappe is doing precisely what he is asked. When he entered the game for his first-ever regular season NFL performance, he threw for 99 yards and a touchdown on 66.7% efficiency. He threw most of his passes to check-downs and under routes, but when given the opportunity, he made some impressive, veteran-level throws.
His small sample size against the Packers wasn’t much, but playing against one of the more historically dominant defenses in the NFL and performing at that level showed some promise. The following week, he played against a warmup team to showcase what he’s really made of; the Detroit Lions.
Zappe dominated the game in the role he was given. His stats on paper do not look incredible, but 188 yards, one touchdown, and one interception are better than some other starting quarterbacks in the league this year.
What makes this game so impressive is how efficient he was. He threw 17/21, putting his completion percentage at 81%. There are players with worse stats at his position throwing significantly more passes, making his stat line even more extraordinary.
What Jones was Doing Wrong
Last year, we saw a Mac Jones that did his job to help his team compete in games. He did not help them win, but he helped them to not lose if that makes sense. After two mediocre performances for 250 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick, he started the game against Baltimore.
This game may have been one of his worst to start his career. Jones threw for a very good number of yards at 321, but his 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions speak volumes to his performance. Although he did come out of this game injured, it does not excuse his terrible decision-making and lack of executing his proper reads.
His season stats are 786 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His 5 picks is tied for 4th in the NFL, and he has missed the last two games. Along with this, of the top 10 interception leaders, he is the only one with less than 4 touchdowns.
Jones looks like a shadow of the player he was last year, and has a lot to prove. He will inevitably get the starting job back, but now Patriots fans across the world will see him slip up and immediately look to the bench. Mac Jones is not safe, and if his horrid play continues, he may be on the fast track to the sideline.
