New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe played well on Christmas Eve and longed for a win as the team battled with the playoff-hopeful Denver Broncos.
The second-year quarterback completed 25 of his 33 passes for 256 yards with a pair of touchdowns. After losing a fumble on the first play of the game, Zappe bounced back to give the Patriots a chance to win.
After watching a 16-point lead slip away, Zappe drove the Patriots into field goal range in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, headlined by a deep completion to DeVante Parker. The game came down to kicker Chad Ryland who, after two missed kicks, drilled a 56-yard field goal to deliver a 26-23 win for New England.
In a season where little has gone right for the Patriots, Zappe showed the pure joy of victory while jumping with excitement as Ryland made the kick:
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With Zappe under center, the Patriots have won two of their last three games, in addition to the 21-18 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 7.
Zappe and the Patriots will have a happy trip home to New England in the holiday spirit after a Christmas Eve win.
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The Patriots improve to 4-11 with two games remaining this season.
Featured image via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images
