What Bill Belichick Saw From Bailey Zappe Ahead Of Patriots-Chargers

FOXBORO, Mass. — All signs point toward Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe making his first start of the season Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Head coach Bill Belichick still would not announce New England’s starter in his final Week 13 news conference, but he did praise Zappe for his work on the practice field this week.

“He’s pretty consistent,” Belichick said Friday morning. “It’s about what it’s been all year. He’s pretty even-keeled, not a lot of roller coaster with him.”

Consistency is something the Patriots’ offense has sorely lacked this season. They rank 31st in the NFL in scoring and tied for 23rd in turnovers, and they totaled just 13 points over their last two games — ugly losses to the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.

Mac Jones was benched in both of those games and replaced by Zappe, who also saw relief action in October losses to Dallas and New Orleans. Neither QB has performed well this season, with Zappe ranking 47th in completion rate and 48th in yards per attempt among 49 NFL passers with at least 35 attempts. He and Jones combined for no touchdowns and five interceptions against the Colts and Giants.

The 2022 fourth-round draft pick played well as a starter last season, however, guiding the Patriots to back-to-back blowout wins while Jones sat out with an ankle injury. He’ll look to recapture that form after a full week of first-team practice reps.

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If Zappe does indeed start against LA, it would be a prime opportunity for the Patriots to evaluate how he might factor into their future plans behind center. The 24-year-old will be facing a vulnerable Chargers defense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL against the pass, though he likely won’t have New England’s top pass-catcher at his disposal with rookie Demario Douglas in concussion protocol.

Belichick said he isn’t focused on the future, however.

“I really haven’t really thought about 2024,” the head coach said. “I’m trying to get ready for the Chargers here and get our team ready to go.”

It’s unclear how the Patriots plan to structure their QB depth chart this Sunday. Zappe and practice squadder Malik Cunningham were the only players to attempt passes with reporters present this week, suggesting Cunningham could have a role on Sunday. Jones reportedly ran the scout team in Wednesday’s practice.

“I think the preparation’s been good,” Belichick said. “We’ll see what happens on Sunday. That’s always the test. But (the quarterbacks) put in the time, preparation. I think everybody’s trying to do that across the board, every position, and we’ll see how it goes on Sunday.”