The Patriots’ Week 14 win over the Steelers was actually a story of two halves for quarterback Bailey Zappe and the offense as a complete.
Zappe threw for 198 yards with three touchdowns within the first half and simply 42 yards and an interception within the closing two quarters. The Patriots held on to win 21-18 because of the recent begin and one other spectacular efficiency from the workforce’s protection.
The Patriots’ new beginning quarterback credited everybody round him for beginning quick.
“I think that’s just all to the teammates and coaches,” Zappe stated Monday afternoon on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego with Arcand.” “Coaches did an exceptional job of getting us ready on a brief week, giving us tendencies and issues like that that they noticed by movie and simply making an attempt to assist us out as a lot as attainable. And then that simply interprets to teammates on the sector — Hunter Henry making performs, JuJu (Smith-Schuster) making performs, offensive line taking part in their butts off, Mike Onwenu doing his hardest job.
“He actually had the hardest job out of everybody on the field and taking care of T.J. Watt. He did a phenomenal job of that. Just kind of looking back at it, we watched the film today. The offensive line, they really got us going this game. All of the credit to them and what they did. Receivers made plays, made it really easy on me just to kind of throw it to them and they made plays. It was a great game for us.”
Smith-Schuster had his finest recreation as a Patriot with 4 catches on six targets for 90 yards. Henry caught two touchdowns from Zappe. And Onwenu neutralized Watt, holding the All-Pro Steelers edge defender with out an official sack or QB hit.
Zappe was simply as fast in charge himself for the Patriots’ second-half woes as he was to credit score his teammates with the workforce’s success to start out the sport. The Patriots picked up simply three first downs within the self half. Zappe threw an interception within the workforce’s second offensive collection of the second quarter. The Patriots’ protection was capable of power a turnover on downs on the Steelers’ ensuing drive, nevertheless.
“I think that’s just the way the game goes,” Zappe stated. “We began out sizzling the primary half. Operation was nice. We have been transferring the ball nicely. We have been getting as much as the road, doing the whole lot nicely.
“The second half, I think that kind of just falls on me. The one drive, I threw a pick. Something that we always talk about is ball security. I didn’t do a very good job of that. I threw an interception. Luckily, they went for it on fourth down. Defense stopped them. So we didn’t really give up any points off the turnover. And then there were plays here and there — an incomplete ball I had or throwing it out of bounds. Trying to not do too much. Not trying to have a turnover. But I think a lot of that second half stuff just falls on me and trying to not make a mistake and trying to make a play. I missed a few balls. I missed a few reads, and that’s just on me.”
The Patriots tackle the Chiefs on Sunday at 1 p.m. It looks as if Zappe gained’t be starstruck with pop star Taylor Swift in attendance to look at her boyfriend, Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce. Zappe stated he’s not a fan of Swift’s music and prefers nation.
Source: www.bostonherald.com