FOXBORO — A regarding development has developed over Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe’s final two begins when he’s come out of halftime trying like a very totally different quarterback.
He’s been 31-of-40 for 337 yards with 4 landing passes within the first half of his final two begins and simply 11-of-19 for 83 yards with two interceptions within the second halves of these video games.
Zappe realizes it too. And enjoying higher within the second half is his private aim over the past three weeks of the season.
“Yeah, for me personally I think it’s important for me to put a full game together,” Zappe stated. “The first halves have been great. The second half hasn’t been so good. I think if I’m able to go out there and execute, run the offense the way it’s supposed to be ran for two halves, I think we’ll score a lot more points. That directly affects on me doing my job well. And then that will relay to everyone else doing good. I think for me, that’s what I want to do.”
Zappe ranks among the many greatest quarterbacks within the NFL when solely accounting for his first-half play the final two weeks. He ranks third amongst 35 quarterbacks with 0.286 anticipated factors added (EPA) per play and second in completion proportion over anticipated (81.6% vs. 69.1%).
It’s a very totally different story within the second half. He’s lifeless final with -1.135 anticipated factors added per play and thirty third in completion proportion over anticipated (57.9% vs. 74.5%).
So, can Zappe pinpoint the difficulty?
“Yeah, I think a little bit of it is just continuing to go through the system and do what the coaches are teaching me to do and what they’re coaching us to do throughout the whole week as far as going right to left, one-high, two-high, things like that,” Zappe stated. “Going through your reads and taking the first open guy and not trying to make a play. Not forcing anything and just playing within the system. As long as you do that, this system has been great for however many years. I’ve just got to follow the system.”
The Patriots scored 21 factors within the first half of their Week 14 win over the Steelers and had been in a position to maintain on due to clutch performs on protection for a 21-18 win.
They weren’t so lucky Sunday towards the Chiefs. The Patriots led 10-7 till the Chiefs scored a touchdowns with 35 seconds left within the second quarter. Zappe led the offense on only one landing drive within the second half because the Patriots fell 27-17.
It hasn’t helped Zappe that offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien had leaned way more closely on working the ball within the second halves of every of the final two video games.
The Patriots have a 46-19 run-pass cut up within the first half of Weeks 14 and 15 and a 23-22 run-pass cut up within the second half.
O’Brien cited Zappe’s second-half interception, which got here on the Patriots’ first offensive play of the third quarter and struggles within the run sport for the Patriots’ struggles Sunday.
“There were some things that we missed,” O’Brien stated. “There may have been some higher play calls. It was all a mixture of issues and we simply weren’t in a position to be practically as productive within the second half as we had been within the first half.
“We just have to continue to figure that out.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com