Bailey Zappe threw three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ 21-18 win over the Steelers on Thursday, all in the first half. Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Bailey Zappe has faced adversity this season.
The second-year quarterback was surprisingly cut at the end of training camp. When he went unclaimed on waivers, Zappe signed with the Patriots’ practice squad before eventually rejoining the team’s active roster.
Three months later, Zappe is about to start his third-straight game at quarterback against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Coming off one of the best games of his NFL career, and more importantly, a Patriots win, Zappe was asked on Monday, if he feels vindicated after his tumultuous offseason.
“Not really,” Zappe said on WEEI’s ‘Jones and Mego’ Show. “I think there’s still a lot more things I can get better at and do better. I think this week, we’ll try to do that. Looking back at these past few weeks, there are a lot of things we did good and didn’t do good. We’re just trying to take it week by week.”
The Patriots’ offense has struggled at different points this season under Mac Jones and Zappe. The Patriots scored 21 points Thursday night against Pittsburgh, all inthe first half – the second-most points for the offense in a game this season.
Of course, the offense didn’t score in the second half.
Zappe threw his three touchdown passes in the first half and became the first Patriots quarterback to accomplish that feat since Tom Brady in 2018. The second-year quarterback finished with 240 yards to go with three touchdowns and an interception. After the game, Zappe could be seen celebrating with Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
Zappe said he didn’t feel like his performance surprised his coach.
“I wouldn’t say I surprised anybody. I just did what O’Brien coached me to do,” Zappe said. “I did exactly the reads I was supposed to go through. There were things that I missed and things we went into film today wanting to fix going into this week. I don’t think there was anything I surprised him with. I did exactly what he taught me to do throughout the week as far as the read, what coverages we want to attack, and we were able to do that in the first half. Second half was a little shaky, but the first half started off great.”
Zappe heads into this week’s matchup with the Chiefs with a 3-1 career record as a starting quarterback.
“The most important thing, of course, is to win,” Zappe said. “That’s the thing I try to do every week… We were able to do that last week.”
THOUGH THE PATRIOTS have already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, there are still players on the roster with plenty to play for as December rolls on.
Mike Onwenu headlines a big class of pending free agents going into the 2024 season, along with Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche, Trent Brown, Zeke Elliott and more. With the Patriots sitting at 3-10 and free agency looming in March, Onwenu was asked how he’s approaching the final month of the season.
“For me, I’m really just focusing on the now. The most important. I can’t control whatever that is,” Onwenu said on a Monday afternoon conference call. “But I can control the next four games and pour everything into that and make sure I’m doing the right things. Make sure I’m correcting myself. Make sure I’m trusting myself and my technique and all that. So that’s where I stand. I’m not really paying too much attention. The most important thing to me is the next game this week.”
Does he have to tell people around him that he doesn’t want to hear about free agency?
“Everyone asks me about it or talks to me about it, but honestly it’s the uncontrollable,” Onwenu said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen yet – it hasn’t happened yet. I really focus on what I can focus on. I know it sounds cliché, but at the end of the day you really can’t control it.”
Kicking Ownenu from guard out to tackle has stabilized New England’s offensive line, and the 26-year-old delivered one of his best performances as a Patriot in last Thursday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, neutralizing T.J. Watt for much of the evening. The 6-foot-3, 350-pound lineman said he likes playing tackle, and then explained what’s enabled him to excel at both offensive line spots.
“I think part of it has to do with my athleticism,” Onwenu said. “People primarily see me as a guard, but I’m an athletic guy when I need to be. Playing on the inside, you’ve just gotta block the guy. The fight is right there within three steps. But at tackle, you’ve gotta get out there. It’s a lot of space to protect and all that. But for me, my athleticism, I have some length on me. I have longer arms and a big grip, so most of the time when I get my hands on somebody, it’s a good fight.”
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