On Christmas Eve, the New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos, thanks in part to the improved play of quarterback Bailey Zappe.
Bailey Zappe, quarterback for the New England Patriots, may still be waiting for his ‘ephiphany.’ He did, however, show significant progress during the team’s 26-23 victory over the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.
Indeed, Zappe’s on-field strides are significant enough to not only catch the attention of coach Bill Belichick and coordinator Bill O’Brien, but also to earn their praise.
“Bailey’s continuing to improve,” Belichick said of Zappe on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Tuesday. “He’s moving in the right direction.”
Zappe had perhaps his best game as a pro against Denver in Week 16, going 25-of-33 for 256 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns. The 24-year-old completed red zone passes to running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Mike Gesicki on each of his scoring drives. After all was said and done, the Pats starter received an 88.9 position grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) — the highest given to a Pats quarterback by the media entity since Mac Jones received an 89.9 in Week 17 of his rookie season in 2021.
Given how his Christmas Eve had begun, no one could blame Zappe for expecting a supernatural visit from Jacob Marley’s chain-clad ghost. The ominous narrative hook of Zappe’s ‘Christmas Carol’ was delivered in this case by Denver defender D.J. Jones, who strip-sacked the Pats starter and recovered the loose ball himself on the night’s first play from scrimmage. Though the Pats defense forced a four-and-out (preventing Denver from reaching the end zone), a string of three-and-out drives, punctuated by a 33-yard Chad Ryland field goal, defined the Western Kentucky product’s first-half performance.