Postgame Transcript – WK7 CHI – Patriots QB Bailey Zappe

PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK BAILEY ZAPPE  

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

October 24, 2022

 

Q: Bailey, how would you describe what your understanding of the plan entering the game for you was?

 

BZ: Yeah, I think that is something, you know, for Coach Belichick. I prepared this week like I have every other week. I prepared as if I was going to play or not. This game didn’t go our way, so get back to work this week, and get ready for the Jets.

 

Q: Can you just talk about your range of emotions tonight from, obviously, you did the first two series to then the second half.

 

BZ: Yeah, just got to get better. Can’t fall off like I did. I’ve got to make some throws. I’ve got to make better decisions on certain things. That’s the good thing about having another week. Get back at it tomorrow. Watch film tomorrow. Get ready for next week.

 

Q: When you went into the game, was it with the message that you were going to be going in the rest of the game, or was there any conversation about Mac potentially going back into the game?

 

BZ: Nothing to my knowledge. Of course, that’s something that’s for Coach Belichick. My job was to go in there and get the ball to my playmakers. I need to do a better job of that going into next week.

 

Q: Obviously, disappointed with the loss, no question. The weather conditions tonight, it looked like both teams were kind of having trouble handling the ball. At one point when you were handing the ball off to Jakobi Meyers, there was the fumble. Was that a difficult thing for you guys tonight out there?

 

BZ: I wouldn’t say it was difficult. It’s something that we practiced. That play, that’s something that we just have to correct moving forward, but I wouldn’t say that that’s anything that we didn’t expect. We expected a wet ball. We practiced a wet ball. So we were prepared for that.

 

Q: Bill Belichick told ESPN that it was the plan all along for both quarterbacks to play. Did you know that both quarterbacks were going to play tonight?

 

BZ: I prepared like I have every other week, and if that decision was made for me to go in, then I was going to go out there and do the best for my team.

 

Q: Didn’t really run too much. Is this something that – is this the coach’s decision, or were you just thinking the situation wasn’t right?

BZ: More of the situation wasn’t right. You know, like I said, there are some things I need to do better at, better decision-making. Some of those, maybe I can scramble to get some yards or maybe I can dump it down to check down and just take the profit. That’s the thing, watch film tomorrow and get better.

 

Q: Did you get first team practice reps late in the week?

 

BZ: That’s a question – moving on to the Jets, actually. So getting ready for them.

 

Q: Did you feel like you were properly prepared? It seems like the plan was to play two quarterbacks. Is it difficult to get two quarterbacks ready to go given the limited practice time that you guys have?

 

BZ: You take mental reps whenever you’re not in. That’s another way that you can prepare throughout the week. It’s not all physical. So whenever you’re not in standing behind the quarterbacks taking mental reps, that’s another way you can do it throughout the week.

 

Q: Throughout especially in the second half we saw an issue with Bears defenders getting hands on passes at the line of scrimmage. Was there anything they were doing to interrupting passing lanes that were giving you trouble getting the ball out down the field?

 

BZ: I mean, that just goes on to me. I have to do a better job of getting around defenders, finding lanes to get it to receivers. Of course, that’s something else that I continue to work on. So, I just have to get better finding lanes, getting around defenders, getting over top of them, around them, whatever it may be.

 

Q: At what point in the week did you find out that Mac Jones was going to start the game?

 

BZ: About the same time y’all did. I prepare like I have every other week like I was one play away and getting ready for every game like I have the last seven weeks, and same thing I’m going to do this next week.