New England Patriots are overdue for a good quarterback controversy
The flames of a New England Patriots quarterback controversy have been fanned by the rather stellar play of rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe who’s filled in for the injured Mac Jones. One question is, is there really any controversy at all?
Another is, should there be?
Injuries can often be the springboard to replacements who perform lots better than the presumed starters they replace. It’s the Wally Pipp syndrome.
Pipp was a starting first baseman for the New York Yankees almost a century ago who went out injured and was replaced by one of the greatest players of all time, Lou Gehrig. Needless to say, Pipp was history.
Another world-shatteringly similar replacement scenario happened in 2001 when New York Jets Mo Lewis drilled then-current Patriots’ starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe. He was replaced by one Tom Brady, aka TB12. The history there is an all-time NFL greatest hit and led to six Super Bowl wins while the irrepressible number 12 resided in Foxborough.
Now we’ve had former first-round pick Mac Jones (a favorite in this space for certain) who was injured and has been replaced (for now?) by surprising rookie fourth-round pick, Zappe.
Let’s take a look at what all this means and what it may mean for the future of the New England Patriots.
Why not a New England Patriots quarterback controversy
Staunch defenders of second-year quarterback Jones would say there ain’t no controversy. When Jones is back healthy, Mac is back starting. That’s a fair comment but will it happen, and is it necessarily in the best interest of the football team?
Jones had started his second year on the back foot. His completion percentage had fallen off from last season and his two touchdowns to five interceptions ratio were “Jets-esque”, at best. Then in stepped Zappe.
The precocious rookie made a heck of a game of it against a possible Super Bowl-contending Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, no less. Then, he followed that with a gem of a start in the total whitewashing of the Detroit Lions at Foxborough.
All Zappe did against the Lions was throw for an outstanding 81 percent competition rate and a touchdown. His stat line was only marred by a give-away interception by the ever-underperforming, slippery-fingered Nelson Agholor.
Rookie quarterbacks in Zappe’s situation, like Brady in 2001, are supposed to do one thing of paramount importance, don’t lose a game. Zappe is doing a good job of that.
Why a New England Patriots quarterback controversy is a good thing
Zappe will likely get the start against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland this Sunday with Jones possibly not being quite ready to suit up just yet. Another similar or possibly better performance than that against Detroit by the rookie will really make things interesting, especially when Jones is healthy.
Winning is all that matters in the NFL and the ultimate coaching winner is Patriots’ headman Bill Belichick. When you help win, you play. Period.
That was evident when Brady replaced Bledsoe (a former overall number 1 pick, no less) and both Belichick and Brady never looked back for 20 years or so. Is this happening again? Might history repeat itself? There’s an easy answer, it’s too early to tell.
Want your voice heard? Join the Chowder And Champions team!
But one thing is clear, another stellar performance by Zappe in Cleveland without a give-way interception by his own receiver and another win, and things will get really interesting in a hurry.
Zappe has his future and that possibility of the Patriots in his own hands. Win Sunday and keep on winning, and Jones may never get back on the field. And if he does, having a spirited competition is not necessarily a bad thing. Jimmy Garoppolo helped reinvigorate old Number 12’s career in some way, did he not?
Next. New England Patriots: Top 5 quarterbacks of all-time. dark
Competition keeps players on their toes when they are fighting for the ultimate prize, playing time. And in Foxborough playing is based purely and simply on one thing, winning. Belichick will be cold as ice when it comes to winning. His post-Brady legacy is at stake and he’ll run with whoever gives him the best chance to win.
Whether that’s a first-round pick or a fourth or sixth-rounder is irrelevant to the Emperor Palpatine of Foxborough, as well it should be. That’s why a little quarterback controversy isn’t necessarily a bad thing when the end result is the New England Patriots winning, now is it?