Bailey Zappe talks second-half struggles, Invoice Belichick’s future and extra on WEEI

Patriots

“It’s simply mounted as a result of it’s only a psychological error,” the quarterback stated.

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe appeared on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” present on Monday night, pertaining to matters like his efficiency in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs and Invoice Belichick’s future in Foxborough. 

Listed below are a number of highlights from Jones’ prolonged radio interview:

Second-half setbacks 

For the second straight week, Zappe revitalized New England’s offense on Sunday due to some crisp throws and poised pocket presence.

Nicely, no less than for the primary half of motion in opposition to the Chiefs.

Despite the fact that New England trailed Kansas Metropolis 14-10 on the half, Zappe was holding up his finish of the cut price. He accomplished 17 of his 19 passes in opposition to a stingy Chiefs protection, throwing for 141 yards and a landing.

He would have had one other TD to Hunter Henry within the second quarter had it not been worn out by a penalty in opposition to New England LT Connor McDermott.

However very like New England’s Week 14 win in opposition to the Steelers, Zappe’s robust begin gave strategy to lackluster returns within the second half in opposition to KC. Over the ultimate two quarters of play, New England generated simply 57 complete yards of offense en path to a 27-17 defeat — with Zappe finishing simply 6-of-12 throws for 39 yards.

‘It’s only a psychological error’

Zappe’s third-quarter interception thrown proper to Kansas Metropolis linebacker Willie Homosexual was a back-breaker.

With the Chiefs already holding a 17-10 lead, Zappe’s poor throw gave KC prime area place in New England’s purple zone. Simply two performs later, Patrick Mahomes hit Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a six-yard landing to make their lead 24-10.

“You return and take a look at the movie, like we did in the present day,” Zappe stated on WEEI when requested about his miscues within the second half in opposition to the Chiefs. “And it’s all the time these sure issues that occur. You already know, a mistake right here or there, just like the interception. As a substitute of throwing it out of bounds, I attempt to pressure it. Had I thrown it out of bounds, who is aware of how that drive goes.

“They get seven factors off of that, we misplaced by 10. You understand how the sport goes, who is aware of? So it’s simply little issues like that, and that’s stuff that’s — it’s simply mounted as a result of it’s only a psychological error. For me, it’s simply as simple as throwing the ball out of bounds and going onto 2nd and 10.”

Zappe’s second-half struggles have been powerful to disregard since taking up as New England’s QB1.

Over his final two video games, Zappe has accomplished 31-of-40 move makes an attempt with 4 touchdowns, a 135.1 ranking and nil interceptions within the first half.

Within the second half? He’s solely accomplished 11 of 19 passes for 83 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and an ugly 29.0 ranking.

“To be sincere, I feel [offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien] referred to as an incredible recreation,” Zappe stated. “It’s simply as much as us as gamers to go on the market and execute. And, personally, there’s issues that I didn’t execute very effectively, and that we watched in the present day in movie that, this week, we’re going to work on. We’re going to get on the market, pre-practice and post-practice and attempt to get higher at these issues.”

An absence of urgency?

New England’s second-half woes and a number of other key penalties at vital levels of Sunday’s recreation performed main roles within the Patriots’ eleventh lack of the season.

However based mostly on Invoice Belichick’s play-calling over the second half in opposition to the Chiefs, it doesn’t appear to be there was that a lot urgency for New England to attempt to manufacture a late-game rally.

After Kansas Metropolis made it a 27-10 recreation with 3:40 left within the third quarter, New England took its foot off the pedal. On the Patriots’ subsequent two drives, Belichick opted to punt on a 4th-and-3 and 4th-and-4 scenario, with New England adhering to a conservative gameplan as an alternative of pushing the envelope searching for factors.

After all, a late-game comeback would thwart New England’s draft odds in April, so the case might be made that Belichick and Co. aren’t essentially inclined to claw again in video games when beginning at multi-score deficits.

However deliberately tanking or throwing apart video games isn’t precisely ingrained in Belichick’s DNA, no matter the place his crew sits within the standings.

“That’s Coach Belichick’s determination,” Zappe stated of New England’s by-the-numbers method on offense within the second half. “He’s been teaching for nevertheless a few years. He understands each situational factor that may occur in a recreation. So no matter he decides, I’m good with.”

Past their hesitancy so far as shifting the chains in fourth-down conditions, New England let the clock drain over a number of drives within the second half, with RB Ezekiel Elliott noting postgame that the Patriots may have “gone a bit of sooner” in an effort to maneuver the ball down the sector.

“At one time, we have been again on our six-inch line. It’s very arduous while you’re in your six-inch line to sort of go up-tempo and issues like that,” Zappe stated of New England’s dearth of high-tempo performs. “You sort of need to get away out of your finish zone earlier than you sort of begin up your two-minute stuff.

“As a result of plenty of issues can occur while you’re backed up in your personal finish zone. So I don’t suppose I look again at something and say, ‘I want we did that, I want we did this.’ I feel it simply comes right down to the execution a part of all of it.”

Tuning out the noise?

With three video games separating the 3-11 Patriots from a merciful finish to the 2023 season, many of the narratives hovering over Foxborough as of late have little to do with the lackluster product on the sector.

Quite, the discourse is centered round Invoice Belichick’s future in New England and whether or not or not proprietor Robert Kraft will choose to maneuver forward with out the legendary head coach after a season the place little has gone proper.

As anticipated, Belichick has brushed apart any speak of his job safety over the previous few weeks. And whereas Zappe didn’t supply up his opinion on the a number of reviews concerning Belichick, he did admit that the crew is greater than conscious of the varied rumors concerning their coach.

“I imply, in fact — should you’re in social media and you’ve got Twitter and all these issues, in fact you see all these rumors and all the pieces going round,” Zappe stated. “However personally for me, I’m controlling what I can management and that’s preparing for the Broncos this week.”