Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe talks with Coach Bill Belichick during a game against Detroit. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe may have played his final snaps of the season last weekend in Cleveland, with starter Mac Jones now nearing the end of his recovery from a high ankle sprain.
Zappe starred in his three game appearances, helping the Pats to two wins as he completed 73% of his passes for 596 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Whether or not he makes another start Monday night against the Bears, Zappe sounds happy to be along for the ride.
“Of course I had a little confidence that I’d be able to make it, but for me it’s still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, to be a quarterback in the NFL,” he said Wednesday. “And I don’t think it will ever come to me that I’m playing in the NFL. I think I’ll still always take advantage of every day and live this dream that I’ve had since I was five.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his position, Zappe said he will keep the same approach he followed as a healthy scratch Weeks 1-3 and as the Patriots’ starter the past two games. On Tuesday, the rookie revealed he didn’t learn he would start at Cleveland until roughly 24 hours before kickoff.
“I still study the game plan the same way I would whether I was third-string or a starter. That’s kind of the mentality I take into it every week, that’s the mentality I’m going to take into this week, so I think that’s going to carry on into the rest of the year.”
Zappe added that Jones has been part of his support system behind the scenes. Jones was on the sideline for Sunday’s win, the first time he’s been on-field for a game since the injury.
“He’s helped a lot,” Zappe said. “Of course he’s been in the league for a whole year above me, and I’ve been able to pick his brain and ask him questions and he’s been giving me great feedback answering them. He’s been a lot of help.”
On Wednesday, Coach Bill Belichick again did not provide any clarity to the quarterback situation. The coach was asked whether he was confident that Jones would be honest about his health even if it slowed his return to the field.
“I have total trust in Mac from our conversations the last couple of years. But we’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said. “We’ll give you the injury report tomorrow and see how things are then. There’s nothing to talk about today.”
Belichick was asked whether the Patriots were constructing separate game plans offensively for Jones or Bailey Zappe.
“I wouldn’t say two different plans. There are always players where there is some uncertainty about their availability. That’s how it is every single week,” Belichick said. “Depending on who the players are and what the players are they’re all a little bit different. We’ll manage them the best we can. … Every situation is different. We’ll evaluate each one based on the individual circumstances and do the best we can with it.”
BELICHICK ON HARRY: Ex-Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry is expected to make his first return to Foxborough since being traded to Chicago when the Pats host the Bears on Monday.
The Patriots shipped Harry to Chicago in mid-July for a 2024 seventh-round pick. Harry suffered an ankle injury during a Bears practice on Aug. 6 and hasn’t played since. The 2019 first-round pick was, however, activated off injured reserve last week, when the team made him a healthy scratch for its Thursday night loss to the Commanders.
Harry had 57 catches for 598 yards over three seasons in New England.
“Big talented kid. Things didn’t really work out here the way that I think all of us hoped for,” Belichick said. “Everybody tried. It just didn’t work out. So, I’m sure he’ll be ready to go and I’m sure he’ll play hard.”
The Patriots drafted Harry with the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 draft. He missed the first nine weeks of his rookie season due to injury, then caught a dozen regular-season passes and two touchdowns over seven games. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder never lived up to his billing as a powerful receiver who could win contested catches, break tackles and create explosive plays.
Harry’s best season came in 2020, when he totaled 33 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Patriots quarterbacks, including Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Mac Jones, had a 55.3% completion rate when targeting Harry in regular-season games.
THE PATRIOTS signed rookie receiver Raleigh Webb off of the Ravens practice squad and already has a spot in the Gillette Stadium locker room.
The signing was a necessity after the team lost special teamer Cody Davis to a severe-looking non-contact injury in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns. Davis was a key special teamer for New England, playing in multiple phases, including as the personal protector on punts.
The 6-foot-2 Webb landed in Baltimore as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft after spending his college career at The Citadel.
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