New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick made sure to give props to quarterback Bailey Zappe ahead of Sunday’s season finale against the New York Jets.
Zappe has gone 2-3 over a stretch of five starts for the Patriots this season. The Western Kentucky product has recorded 1,184 passing yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He has had a roller coaster of a season, starting with failing to make the initial 53-man roster and being waived on August 29. He was signed to the active roster on September 9.
Belichick has been pleased with how the quarterback has handled himself and navigated through the challenges of life in the NFL.
“In August or September, whenever it was, during the final cuts, I talked to Bailey and I thought he had a great attitude and outlook on the situation,” Belichick said in a video conference, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “‘What do I need to do better? How can I do it? How can I improve?’ And he’s worked very hard to address those, and it’s shown up in his play and his performance, not just recently but going all the way back to day by day through September, October, all those days.
The quarterback struggled in last Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, throwing three interceptions.
He will look to right the ship and send the Patriots off on a high note as he takes on the Jets in Week 18. This could be an opportunity for him to make a good impression as a viable candidate to be the starter in 2024.
“You just take it one day at a time, and I think he really tried to embrace that. It’s a big credit to him — his mental toughness, his resiliency and his attitude toward competing.”