New England Patriots Players Praise ‘Confident’ Bailey Zappe in Win Over Pittsburgh Steelers
As New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe walked from the field at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night, he placed his hand on the shoulder of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien while flashing a grin of relief.
“Oh man,” Zappe said as his walk became a slow jog. “Oh man!”
With victories having recently become a scarce commodity in New England, Zappe was obviously glad to guide his team back in the win column. The Pats second-year quarterback had just completed 19 of 28 passes for 240 yards with three touchdowns while leading the Pats to a 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was his third win as the Pats starter, and his first of the season since taking the reins of the Patriots offense. In fact, the Western Kentucky product became the first Pats quarterback to toss three first-half touchdown passes since Tom Brady in 2018. Through it all, he maintained a cool, calm and confident demeanor which impressed his teammates.
"You know he's a calm, cool, collected guy,” said tight end Hunter Henry, the recipient of two of Zappe’s touchdown passes. “I'm happy for him ... He came out here and slung it around pretty good."
Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who admirably handled the lead back duties in place of Rhamondre Stevenson [inactive due to an ankle injury,] was also taken with Zappe’s ability to lead by example — having caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from the young quarterback on the game’s opening drive.
“Zap was balling tonight.” Elliott said. “He commands our attention in the huddle. … He was out there making the checks, making the points. He just had so much confidence, and the offense could definitely feel that.”
While Zappe’s performance was the catalyst for the team’s severing their five-game losing streak, the 24-year old was also justified in taking a moment to savor an understandably sweeter bit of success.
After all, it was less than four months earlier that Zappe had been waived by the team during final roster reductions. Despite performing well while leading the Patriots to a 2-0 record as a starter in his rookie season [in place of the injured Mac Jones,] he struggled with both accuracy and decision-making throughout training camp and preseason. As such, the Pats surprisingly decided to part ways with the young signal-caller.
New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Though he passed through the initial round of waiver claims, Zappe fielded offers from other teams. Ultimately, he decided to remain in New England — believing that the Patriots provided him the best chance for success.
“Zappe said it was a wake-up call when he got cut by the Patriots in camp,” Amazon Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung reported during Thursday’s broadcast. “And yet, even as he signed with the practice squad the very next day he told Kitley, ‘Trust me, I’ve got this. Eventually, I’ll be the starter.'”
In choosing to view the setback as a challenge, rather than a defeat, Zappe’s confidence foreshadowed his fate.
Following a 6-0 shutout at home against the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, few (if any) expected the Pats offense to show any signs of life against a typically stingy Steelers defense. Yet, Zappe rose to the challenge when most-needed. While his Week 14 performance was not perfect — having been sacked twice, while throwing one interception — Zappe remains mindful that New England’s victory is an important step in rebuilding what had become a severely-damaged team psyche. It is also a significant component in developing his own identity as a starting quarterback, as well as establishing a rapport with his teammates.
"It's awesome,” Zappe said of his feelings regarding the win. “You know things haven't really been falling our way... It's great to win. It's a great feeling … and it comes from those guys [teammates.] They helped me out a lot. They deserved it today.”
From the mood in the Patriots postgame locker room, it appears that his teammates are likely to return the sentiment.
