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The New England Patriots might have come up short losing 27-24 to the Green Bay Packers, but the future is bright in New England.
Thanks to Mac Jones being ruled out due to his ankle injury, the hope for a victory was already low among fans. That meant that Brian Hoyer would be under center for the Patriots.
Hoyer only threw for 37 yards before being forced to head to the locker room due to a head injury. That injury would take Hoyer out of the game in the first quarter and usher Bailey Zappe from the bench into the game.
It was a pressure-packed moment for Zappe. Playing at one of the most historic stadiums in football, the rookie got his first regular season snaps under center.
The pressure didn’t appear to get to Zappe. The rookie quarterback completed 10 of his 15 passes for 99 yards. That included a beautiful touchdown pass to DeVante Parker where Zappe floated the ball to his receiver
With his touchdown pass, Zappe became the first quarterback of the 2022 NFL Draft class to throw a touchdown.
What Was Said About Zappe After the Game?
With his performance, Zappe was the focus of many questions after the game, and captain David Andrews praised the rookie quarterback.
“Proud of he way he (Zappe) competed… thrown in the mix in a very hostile environment against a really good defense,” Andrews said.
Head coach Bill Belichick was also happy with the rookie’s performance.
“I thought he competed well,” the coach said.
Zappe even got a shoutout from Matthew Judon in his postgame presser.
“I just want to give a huge shoutout to Zappe. Not a lot of reps…he did a hell of a job for us.”
What’s the Patriots QB Situation Looking Like?
With Jones dealing with his severe high ankle sprain and Hoyer now dealing with a head injury, the rookie appears to have the inside track at the interim starting job.
The good news for Patriots fans is that it looks like Jones has avoided surgery. The quarterback out of Alabama could still miss some time, but the injury appears to not be as serious as once thought.
For Hoyer, his situation is more of a waiting game. New England will need to see how he recovers from his head injury and if he can do so before Week 5 comes around.
But Zappe started off his career in a tough situation but he was able to put in a good performance.
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Patriots Rookie QB Has Breakout Performance in Week 4