“Our confidence is through the roof,” Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster highly praises Bailey Zappe ahead of their tough game against the Chiefs

OB Bailey Zappe has earned respect among his peers for the way he handles pressure.

“Our confidence is through the roof,” Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster highly praises Bailey Zappe ahead of their tough game against the Chiefs

JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bailey Zappe (Image via: Imago)

With an already challenging season, the New England Patriots are set for an even more tough battle in the final few weeks of this season. The first is the Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a winning record. However, there’s something, or rather, someone, with whom the Patriots are confident.

That someone is newly appointed starting quarterback Bailey Zappe. After struggling with a poor record of 2-10 until week 13, head coach Bill Belichick took the drastic step of signing Zappe as the starting QB in a team meeting.

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The very next week, in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Zappe proved his worth by leading his team to a 21-18 win. He logged 19 out of his 28 passes for 240 yards, along with three touchdowns and one interception. This stat brought a ray of hope in the eyes of Belichick and the team that they still might have a chance to chase the playoffs.

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After defeating the Steelers, Zappe now has the challenge of facing the Chiefs, who are leading the AFC West with an 8-5 standing. But when asked, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster seemed confident about scoring a victory with quarterback Zappe.

When he's in that huddle, our confidence is through the roof.
Smith-Schuster said in a post-game press conference

He praised the quarterback for his composure. 

The quick decisions he makes, being able to get the ball out, and being able to move with his feet.
He further added

Although it’s not going to be that easy for Zappe to face a team with a winning record and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is clearly in the MVP race this season, he sure has earned respect among his peers for the way he handles the pressure. And if the Patriots are to score the win, that’s what’s going to bring it to them.

Can Bailey Zappe lead his team to a victory over the Chiefs?

For both the games that the second-year quarterback Zappe started, he has mainly focused on keeping the ball clean by recovering no turnovers. However, the Chiefs’ defense has been one of the best units in the league, as they are ranked third in points allowed, sixth in yards allowed, and sixth in passing yards allowed.

Bailey Zappe with Bill Belichick
Bailey Zappe with Bill Belichick (Via Pats Pulpit)

The only way Zappe could take the lead in the intermediate game is by connecting with Hunter Henry and Ezekiel Elliott. If the second-yard quarterback succeeds in passing for at least 200 yards, there’s a likely chance for the team to turn it into a victory.

With running back Elliott in the lead, it would be a tough challenge for the Chiefs to slow him down, as they don’t have the best records on that. However, there is still a lot that the Patriots need to do in order to score a win, as they haven’t been playing with a winning caliber this season.

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