Zappe Gets Zapped: Patriots Rookie QB Tosses Pick Six to Panthers

New England Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe would undoubtedly prefer to reverse his ill-advised third-quarter pass attempt against the Carolina Panthers on Friday at Gillette Stadium.

FOXBORO — New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe had been enjoying a solid performance in the second half of the team’s second preseason matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Friday evening. 

Zappe had connected with receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a handful of impressive receptions, and seemed poised to lead the Pats on a potential scoring drive late in the third quarter. However, with time expiring in the third quarter, Zappe attempted to find receiver Tre Nixon in the short left from the New England 47-yard line. His pass was jumped by Carolina cornerback Tae Hayes, who returned the interception 50 yards for the score. 

TO THE HOUSE 🏡

Tae Hayes gets a pick 6 off this interception thrown by Bailey Zappe. #CARvsNE

🎥: @NFLpic.twitter.com/bXB873ZzIL

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 20, 2022

Upon further review, Zappe’s throw was clearly late and ill-advised. In short, he looked very much like a rookie in the moment. 

Still, Zappe is quite adept at playing his position. During his collegiate days, he set FBS single-season records with 62 passing touchdowns and 5,967 passing yards in 2021.

Much like Jones, Zappe has a quick release and is an accurate short-to-intermediate passer when throwing in rhythm. He moves well within the pocket and demonstrates a good eye for recognizing pressure. In order to be an effective pro, he must improve upon his accuracy when throwing on the move. While he does not project as a particular mobile quarterback, his skill set fits well within New England’s system. 

Following a slow start to his preseason debut, Zappe performed well in last week’s matchup against the New York Giants. Though veteran Brian Hoyer got the start, Zappe would take the ball for the remainder of the evening. In his first half of NFL action, the rookie completed just 3-of-9 passes for 16 yards, low-lighted by errant throws and a sack. However, the Western Kentucky product looked more comfortable in the second half, connecting with both Wilkerson and Nixon on a few impressive deep shots. In total, Zappe completed 19 of 32 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

To add insult in injury, Zappe’s interception was celebrated by a large number of Panthers players, who joined Hayes in the endzone … some of which were not in uniform. Carolina undoubtedly took great pride in evening the score at 10, after two fractious days of joint practices with the Pats earlier in the week. The Panthers were flagged 15 yards for the unsportsmanlike conduct infraction. 

The Patriots tacked on a field goal following the pick-6 and lead 13-10 late in the fourth quarter.