The Bailey Zappe era could be upon us when the New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers for a Week 13 showdown in Foxborough on Sunday.
Mac Jones was reportedly running the scout team offense during the week, while Zappe took the top reps at quarterback. On Saturday, the Patriots even elevated Malik Cunningham from the practice squad to the main roster. So the Patriots are seemingly preparing to move in a different direction after seeing a struggling Jones benched in back-to-back games.
But will it be enough against a Chargers team that can light up a scoreboard? Sure, the Chargers have more leaks than a corroded boat on defense, but they clearly have enough firepower to make up for it on the offensive side of the ball.
The Patriots defense has overperformed all season, but they could run into trouble against a Chargers team full of talented offensive weapons.
Here’s the full round-up of Patriots Wire staff picks for the Week 12 matchup:
Jordy McElroy (4-7) – Patriots 9, Chargers 30
Danny Jaillet (10-1) – Patriots 14, Chargers 35
Cam Garrity (5-6) – Patriots 7, Chargers 24
Michael Braithwaite (5-6) – Patriots 13, Chargers 23
Who are you taking in Sunday’s game? How will Zappe perform in his first start of the season? Will Cunningham get more snaps at quarterback? Can the Patriots defense hold up against Herbert and an explosive Chargers offense?