New England Patriots rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham stole the show in Thursday’s 20-9 preseason loss to the Houston Texans. Several Patriots players commented on Cunningham’s performance, including the starter for the game, Bailey Zappe.
Zappe was accurate in Saturday’s game, going 12-of-14 on the evening. He threw for 79 yards but struggled to get the New England offense down the field. Cunningham went 3-of-4 on the evening, throwing for 19 yards. He also rushed the ball five times for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Cunningham played at a high level, and Zappe certainly took notice as he told the assembled media after the game.
“Malik came in and did a phenomenal job, had a really good drive, scored the only touchdown of the game,” said Zappe. “Did really good in both the run game and the pass game. It was really nice to see him do that, especially in his first game in the NFL, to really go out there and kind of put the jitters aside and play like he did was really good to see.”
Bailey Zappe on Malik Cunningham leading a #Patriots TD Drive: "Did a phenomenal job…it was really nice to see him do that…to be able to see him score a touchdown and how excited he got was really good." @ABC6 #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/1ndSULn5tP
— Nick Coit (@NCoitABC6) August 11, 2023
It remains to be seen what kind of role Cunningham has on the team considering he took snaps at both quarterback and receiver. Nevertheless, he certainly made a strong case with his performance on Thursday.
