FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — All signs point to quarterback Bailey Zappe making his second straight start for the New England Patriots on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 2022 fourth-round pick addressed the media from the podium on Tuesday, usually a good sign when trying to figure out who will be under center for the next game. Still, Zappe prefers to have coach Bill Belichick make the official declaration in advance of the prime-time matchup.
“Coach has made it pretty clear, but I’ll let him announce it to everyone,” Zappe said. “That’s private right now, and whenever he announces it, that’s with him. I try to prepare every week like I’m the guy. Nothing different from me.”
Zappe’s first start of the season didn’t feature a turnover, an area that plagued Mac Jones during the 11 games he started for New England this year. But there was more bad news than good: Zappe didn’t lead the Patriots to the end zone in a 6-0 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots have lost five straight and rank last in scoring offense (12.3 points per game).
