New England Patriots young star Bailey Zappe has become the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win his first two starts while registering a quarterback rating of 100 or better in both matches.
After starting quarterback Mac Jones went down with an injured ankle in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer got knocked out of the game against the Green Bay Packers. Zappe stepped in and hasn’t looked back.
The fourth round draft pick is one of the major reasons why the Patriots are winning matches in 2022. In his first career start, Zappe led New England to a crushing 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions in Foxborough and he backed it on the road against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Zappe completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 309 yards and two touchdowns to go with zero interceptions in the 38-15 Week 6 win. The 23-year-old also showcased his ability to spread possession, with five different targets hauling in four or more receptions.
As a result of his fine performances, Zappe - not legends like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers - has become the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to post a rating of over 100 while winning his first two starts. The Super Bowl era runs from 1967 to the present day.
Against the Lions, Zappe put up a quarterback rating of 100 before registering a score of 118.4 in Cleveland. He also remarkably tallied a 107.4 quarterback rating in his very first taste of action against the Packers following Hoyer’s exit in the first quarter.
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Despite his impressive performances, it is unknown if Zappe will retain his role once Jones returns to the fold. The 24-year-old - who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft after starring at Alabama - is making progress on his ankle and could return against the Chicago Bears next Monday.
Jones has gradually increased his practice participation and his status was upgraded to questionable for the match against Cleveland. He hasn’t played since suffering the injury against the Ravens but is hoping to return in Week 7.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is certainly unlikely to be fazed by the potential move of instating Zappe as quarterback even when Jones is fit. The iconic coach has gone down this road before in New England, famously benching franchise starter Drew Bledsoe to roll with an unknown Brady.
