Patriots QB Bailey Zappe Transcript

PRESS CONFERENCE

October 19, 2022

Q: What’s your approach like this week? Has it changed at all as time goes by here and kind of how much more comfortable are you getting as you go through your preparation?

BZ: Yeah, as far as preparation nothing’s going to change. I’m going to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing for the last seven weeks now. With the Monday game we kind of get an extra day to get on to the Bears. Just this week working on some things that we saw the last few weeks of the film. Like fundamental-wise, working on that in practice but other than that nothing’s really going to change at all.

Q: It seems like you really are getting more comfortable each time you’re on the field. Why have you gotten so comfortable in this offense?

BZ: I think it’s really just taking it day-by-day, every day getting better, getting more comfortable, understanding the plays and understanding the concepts. Really just taking it as we keep saying day-by-day and really just getting better every day with it.

Q: With some of the subtleties of play faking and the things that you’ve developed as you’ve got here and gotten better at, how much growth would you say there’s been since you entered this facility back in the spring? In terms of learning, taking the snap under center, coming off a play action pick, things of that nature just in general in the overall development.

BZ: Definitely have learned a lot in that aspect. That’s something I never really did in college or high school, so when I came here it was kind of a little new world for me. But learning those things that’s something I had to do to be in this position and be in this league. Of course, there are some things I could continue to work on but that’s the great thing about it in practice.

Q: Is it more than just the coaching you’re getting or are you doing a lot of those things on your own?

BZ: Yeah, that’s some stuff like getting snaps with centers before and after practice. Getting with the running backs before and after practice. Just getting that extra work in outside of the two and a half hours or however many hours we have practice wise.

Q: What is it like for you just kind of not knowing what’s going to go on the course of the week, not knowing if you’re going to be the starter come Monday night and what is your mindset going into it?

BZ: Just doing what I’ve been doing for the last seven weeks. Taking advantage of every rep that I get in practice. Just trying to get better every day. That’s kind of my mindset.

Q: How important is it to take advantage of the opportunities? Every young player will say that to take advantage of what you can do. How important is that for you and is that your goal kind of every time you go out?

BZ: Yeah that’s 100% my goal, and it’s very important because you don’t know when your next opportunity is going to come. So, I think once you get that opportunity you’ve got to take advantage of it and hope you get another one. But as far as practice goes, every rep I get to take advantage of it.

Q: How different is it though being in the one chair if you will, maybe going through the game plan knowing that you’re going to go out there and get the reps as opposed to obviously when you were going out there and backing up, when you were free you were doing scout team stuff?

BZ: I think for me it’s still the same mentally the way I approach it. I still study the game plan the same way I would whether you said I was third string or a starter. That’s kind of the mentality that I take into it every week. That’s the mentality I’m going to take into this week. I think that’s going to carry on throughout the rest of the year.

Q: Two years ago, you were at Houston Baptist. Did you always kind of believe that you could get to this point? Is this something or does it feel surreal how quickly you went from there to here?

BZ: Of course, I had a little confidence that I’d be able to make it in myself. But for me it’s still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, be a quarterback in the NFL. I don’t think it would ever come to me that I’m playing in the NFL. I still think I’ll always take advantage of every day and live this dream that I’ve had since I was five.

Q: Did the speed that you picked up quickly at Western [Kentucky] give you confidence to do it here?

BZ: The offense that I went with at Western [Kentucky] was kind of the same offense I had at Houston Baptist so that was a lot easier for me. But coming into the NFL of course it was a lot different, a lot different offenses. I leaned on a lot of people to help me learn different schemes and different stuff like that.

Q: How has Mac Jones helped you over the last two to three weeks?

BZ: Oh, he’s helped a lot. Of course, he’s been in the league for a whole other year above me. I’ve been able to pick his brain. I’ve been able to ask him questions, and he’s been giving me great feedback answering them. He’s a lot of help.

Q: Do you have memories as a child, what’s your earliest memory of Monday night football?

BZ: I mean that’s been a long time. I’m not quite sure, but I’ve definitely been watching it for a long time.

Q: What’s it mean to you to be able to play in a Monday night football game?

BZ: It’s a great environment. It’s primetime football, but right now I’m just kind of focused on practice next week and getting ready for practice tomorrow.

Q: How much has your confidence grown throwing the ball deeper down the field, I think about like the throw to DeVante [Parker] on Sunday and stuff like that to kind of push it down the field more?

BZ: Yeah, I think that just goes into the receivers that we have on this team, giving those guys a chance. If you give those guys a chance, it’s more likely that they’re going to come down with the ball. With everybody that we have in the receiving core, we have great confidence in every single one of those guys. Just like for example the throw to D.P. [DeVante Parker] that was kind of one of those where I’m going to throw it up there and let him do what he does. Most of the time he’s going to come down with it. Yep, thank ya’ll.

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