Bailey Zappe has played solid, mistake-free football since taking over as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.
However, technically speaking, the third-string rookie has been historically good in his two games leading New England’s offense. With his performance in Sunday’s 38-15 win over the Browns in Cleveland, Zappe now has done something that hasn’t been seen in the NFL in 65 years.
“Bailey Zappe is the first rookie to win his first two career starts and record a 100-plus passer rating in those games since Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen in 1957,” the official NFL Research Twitter account posted Sunday.
Zappe completed 24 of 34 passes against the Browns for 309 yards and two touchdowns while also losing a fumble. And the Patriots coaching staff clearly has growing confidence in the fourth-round pick, who aired it out Sunday with much more frequency than he did the previous two weeks.
But has Zappe done enough to remain New England’s starting quarterback once Mac Jones is healthy? That remains to be seen, but the situation is getting more interesting by the day.
The Patriots will host the Chicago Bears next Monday night.
