Patriots QB Bailey Zappe

PRESS CONFERENCE

January 7, 2024

Q: We know about your background, growing up in Texas. What’s your experience in playing in conditions like these and just for those who are in our line of work, how hard is it to throw a football accurately in these sorts of conditions?

BZ: Yeah, I mean, this was probably my first time in weather like this, this bad. As far as throwing the ball, I mean, you’ve got to think about it. I mean, the wind is blowing a little bit. If it’s snowing hard enough, then that affects how the ball spins; if it hits the ball, things like that, just come into effect. But the biggest thing is just when the snow like starts building up on the field, receivers getting in and out of the breaks, it’s hard. Your foot, half your foot is stuck in snow. I mean, it’s hard. I mean, that’s all kind of goes in together. I mean, there’s no excuses. Both teams have play in it. You can’t sit up here and say, “weather screwed us.” I mean, both teams had to play in it.

Q: Were you playing today thinking about Bill Belichick on your mind, that it might be his last game? Did that cross your mind and change anything the way you did it out there?

BZ: No. I mean, if it is, it isn’t, I’m sure they will decide that in the off-season. For me, I was just trying to win. Didn’t do enough, obviously. It’s the last one, got to go back to the drawing board in the off-season and get ready for next year.

Q: That play by Vederian Lowe late in the game, just what did you think of that effort from him late in the game?

BZ: Yeah, that was – I mean, that’s a phenomenal effort. That gives us – gave us another chance to have more plays, to have more opportunities to go down there and score. For him to be able to go and make that play, like I said, just kind of gives you a little bit of juice, momentum mayb a little bit. You know, but we weren’t able to capitalize on it.

Q: How would you describe just this season from coming in for the off-season program, preseason, everything that unfolded there to standing here now?

BZ: Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot of things that I feel like I improved on. There’s a lot of things that going into this off-season, talking with the coaches, I’m sure this week, there’s some things that I’m going to have to fix and get right before next year, of course. Turnovers is one of them. Starting from, you know, when I – first season started, being cut, out of here – I mean, it’s a blessing, of course, to be standing here today. But you know, I wish we came out with the win of course. But there’s a lot of things I’ve got to get better at this off-season so we can come win games next year.

Q: Can you talk about the fourth-and-one to Pharaoh Brown ? How long has that play in the bank waiting to use it? Was it this week? And was it hard throwing on that side of the field? Seemed like the wind might have been in your face or sideways. Was it underthrown a bit or was he open in your opinion?

BZ: Yeah, I mean, we usually have a few of those plays in the game plan. I’m sure that play, I think we’ve had it for a few weeks of course. Just the right time for it. I would say, yeah, I think it was a little underthrown. I think if I put it, maybe, six inches further, he catches it. I left it a little bit short. The guy was able to put his hand in between Pharaoh [Brown]’s arms and that falls on the quarterback, ball placement, things like that, that at my job, you have to be able to do.

Q: After spending two years here, your rookie season, your second season in the league, starting in each season, learning a lot from Bill, what do you take away the most from these first two years of you in the NFL and learning from Bill Belichick?

BZ: Yeah, I mean, can’t win till you keep from losing. The more you turn the ball over, the more opportunities you give the opposing offense, is less opportunities that you get. So that’s the biggest thing. And, of course, you look back at the last two weeks, turnovers were a thing that kind of haunted us as an offense. Going into this off-season, we’ve just going to have to clean some of that stuff up. Watch film, understand what you did wrong, fix it, and again, get ready for next year. Can’t come in – can’t say that and then come in next year turning the ball over. You’ve got to fix those things.

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–PATRIOTS–

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