Patriots/NFL 2023 Regular Season Part 2: Patriots officially eliminated from playoffs

[Johnnyduke]

All three of them.

I would like to clarify that I am a current QB atheist. I don't fully believe in any of them. But, I do think the path forward is trying to trade Mac and keeping Zappe as the backup/bridge starter. I would have no problem with that being the short term solution.

This all hinges on which way the Pats decide to go anyway. It's not a certainty they even draft a QB with their first pick. They may choose to go the veteran QB route. In that scenario veteran X competes with Zappe and then maybe you draft a QB in 2nd round or even put it off a year as you dedicate the resources to building up the rest of the roster. I have heard guys talk about previous examples of this from other teams.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Funny because I've definitely blamed Mac multiple times on here. Many times. But unlike you, I also realize this roster is trash, he's technically had 4 OC's the last 4 years. Terrible construction of the offense lef5 him to rot, and a coach who never wanted him. Now the confidence he had year 1 is gone. Go watch the highlights my friend. The guy from year 1 looks completely cooked now and that's on this shitty organization.

Bill carried a rookie QB to the playoffs year 1. Mac follows that up by going behind Bills back year 2, gets to handpick his OC and blames his teammates year 3 and is now trending to be out of the league.

 

[Mione134]

Bill carried a rookie QB to the playoffs year 1. Mac follows that up by going behind Bills back year 2, gets to handpick his OC and blames his teammates year 3 and is now trending to be out of the league.

1. Do you honestly believe Mac had that much power? He didn't pick Bill O'Brien, he at the time was just the obvious choice because Bill picks all his friends.

2. Going behind his back? He asked Nick Saban for advice. Can't blame him for asking for help with last years situation. The fact Bill is mad about that is hilarious. Saban is his buddy, he should of been happy the kid was trying to get other imput.

3. Bill carried them to the playoffs? He did? He himself?

 

[Johnnyduke]

Matty P

 

[N o o d l e s]

Ya! Get Mac back in there!!!


Let me find my violin


Who are you talking about? Maybe try making a point.


He can have a future somewhere else just like Drew Lock. Fine by me!

I think you’re taking it personally cause you know exactly what I’m saying. Zappe is total garbage.

 

[The National]

Mac's decision making? Ummm...

Unless you're forecasting that he will learn how to play football again and get over the yips. Because his decision making is piss poor even when he has time to throw.

Well if anything’s gonna come back it’ll be that, that was supposedly his strong suit. If he doesn’t get his confidence back than yeah he has not shot, but there’s ways to find it again. Either way it won’t be happening here.

 

[Johnnyduke]

I think you’re taking it personally cause you know exactly what I’m saying. Zappe is total garbage.

All I've said is he's still been better than Mac Jones. If you can't handle that it's a you problem. People are obsessed with trashing Zappe as an attempt to prop up the broken Mac Jones.

 

[IveGotToBeMe]

Basic opinion on both qb's...they suck. Jones will get a backup job next year somewhere, Zappe will be a 3rd qb somewhere...don't want the somewhere to be NE for either of them. I'd go with a capable VETERAN backup and take a shot with another young qb with the first round pick. With different coach/gm leadership I would take that shot.

 

[N o o d l e s]

All I've said is he's still been better than Mac Jones. If you can't handle that it's a you problem. People are obsessed with trashing Zappe as an attempt to prop up the broken Mac Jones.

If that INT wasn’t a carbon copy of Mac, you’re lying to yourself. Arguing about who’s better between these two is arguing just to argue.

 

[CDJ]

If that INT wasn’t a carbon copy of Mac, you’re lying to yourself. Arguing about who’s better between these two is arguing just to argue.

Insert *south park turd sandwich vs giant douche episode* here

 

[Johnnyduke]

If that INT wasn’t a carbon copy of Mac, you’re lying to yourself. Arguing about who’s better between these two is arguing just to argue.

Yes, that one was. That is correct. I would just add that Mac has had a lot more reps and playing time at NFL level than Zappe. When I see what Zappe's pocket presence is right now, it's a strength. He has shown enough where if he got consistent playing time I could easily see him developing into a solid backup for a long time.

With Mac, he is so broken right now I don't know what his career path is. Some guys simply don't recover when you get to the point he's at. I hope he can overcome it and make a career out of this. The Patriots absolutely deserve some blame for having a QB go from promising rookie to unplayable within a couple years.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Yes, that one was. That is correct. I would just add that Mac has had a lot more reps and playing time at NFL level than Zappe. When I see what Zappe's pocket presence is right now, it's a strength. He has shown enough where if he got consistent playing time I could easily see him developing into a solid backup for a long time.

With Mac, he is so broken right now I don't know what his career path is. Some guys simply don't recover when you get to the point he's at. I hope he can overcome it and make a career out of this. The Patriots absolutely deserve some blame for having a QB go from promising rookie to unplayable within a couple years.

I actually think Atlanta should trade for him. I could see him actually being successful with Pitts, Robinson and London

 

[CDJ]

I actually think Atlanta should trade for him. I could see him actually being successful with Pitts, Robinson and London

Don’t forget Jonnu

 

[N o o d l e s]

Don’t forget Jonnu

And Patterson lol

 

[Johnnyduke]

Jonnu Smith, another decent player who the Patriots couldn't get anything out of.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Jonnu Smith, another decent player who the Patriots couldn't get anything out of.

I’m blaming McDaniels for that. He never even got him involved

 

[BernieMcAvoy]

Mac and Zappe are both backup level qbs. Mac is better if everything around him is perfect but as soon as pressure gets to him he panics, is terrible at moving inside the pocket and lacks arm talent. Zappe can move around the pocket a lot better but his accuracy is way too inconsistent. Both the Steelers and Chiefs games he plays like a starting level qb in the first half and a guy not good enough for the league in the 2nd. Mac isn't a bad person but there's just something about him i find hard to like but neither will be the starter for the Patriots next season. Maye or Williams lets the clock reset for the team and another chance to surround the next guy with talent.

 

[EvilDead]

Huh. Would you look at that.

 

[EvilDead]

I would like to clarify that I am a current QB atheist. I don't fully believe in any of them. But, I do think the path forward is trying to trade Mac and keeping Zappe as the backup/bridge starter. I would have no problem with that being the short term solution.

Stop right there. The idea that Zappe is a serviceable answer in the short term for the Patriots at QB is asinine. Zappe's not good enough to be a starter. He's not even better than his own teammate as a starter and yet he's being given more rope than other backup QBs the Patriots have trotted out in the past. I've seen people give Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Cassell less rope than people are doing with Zappe. It's f***ing ridiculous.

This all hinges on which way the Pats decide to go anyway. It's not a certainty they even draft a QB with their first pick. They may choose to go the veteran QB route. In that scenario veteran X competes with Zappe and then maybe you draft a QB in 2nd round or even put it off a year as you dedicate the resources to building up the rest of the roster. I have heard guys talk about previous examples of this from other teams.

Whatever direction the Patriots go in, it should involve a complete clean slate for the future of this team and expunge any and all influence Bill had in recent years. Zappe remaining here will be no different to Tim Tebow hanging around as the back up to Mark Sanchez in East Rutherford all those years ago. Zappe should have no future on this team and the next coach should get a solid vet like a Case Keenum to compete against Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or whoever the Patriots end up deciding to pick in the draft.

 

[Johnnyduke]

The only truly asinine thing in all of this is the bizarre hatred people have of Bailey Zappe after starting like a whopping total of 5 NFL games. So um ya that is why I will cut him some slack. JFC. Maybe, just maybe with more time he develops into a guy who can play well for more than just a half. But that's obviously still better than a QB who can play well for 0 halves of football.

I also don't think you understood what I meant by bridge QB. To me a bridge QB is a pretty easy term to understand. At least in the context of how bad the Patriots are. Maybe you can go around .500 and be a fringe playoff team at the absolute peak. If the roster is stacked like the 49ers. That doesn't mean the Patriots will go that route. If they blow all the QBs out, draft a kid and sign a vet I am fine with that too. I have no expectation of this team being a legit playoff team for at least a couple years now based on how bad a job Belichick has done. Stop trying to turn this into me having some great affinity for Bailey Zappe.

View attachment 787128

Huh. Would you look at that.

What point are you trying to make here? That both of these guys actually suck? That all the QBs from the Mac Jones draft suck?

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Mac is the worst QB in the NFL if you are comparing guys entrusted by their franchises as starters at the beginning of the year. I think there is a gap between him and second worst he sicks so much.

Zappe is better but compared to starting QBs he’s invenitably bottom 5. Maybe bottom 10 off your generous.

 

[Johnnyduke]

Mac is the worst QB in the NFL if you are comparing guys entrusted by their franchises as starters at the beginning of the year. I think there is a gap between him and second worst he sicks so much.

Zappe is better but compared to starting QBs he’s invenitably bottom 5. Maybe bottom 10 off your generous.

BUT DID YOU SEE THAT INTERCEPTION HE THREW???

 

[KrejciMVP]

Mac and Zappe are both backup level qbs. Mac is better if everything around him is perfect but as soon as pressure gets to him he panics, is terrible at moving inside the pocket and lacks arm talent. Zappe can move around the pocket a lot better but his accuracy is way too inconsistent. Both the Steelers and Chiefs games he plays like a starting level qb in the first half and a guy not good enough for the league in the 2nd. Mac isn't a bad person but there's just something about him i find hard to like but neither will be the starter for the Patriots next season. Maye or Williams lets the clock reset for the team and another chance to surround the next guy with talent.

how did a Bailey led offence score 41 points total in the 2nd half vs the Lions and Browns last year if this is true? Its been 5 starts, can't really tell anything yet about Bailey and just hope he gets better

 

[yazmybaby]

I would like to clarify that I am a current QB atheist. I don't fully believe in any of them. But, I do think the path forward is trying to trade Mac and keeping Zappe as the backup/bridge starter. I would have no problem with that being the short term solution.

This all hinges on which way the Pats decide to go anyway. It's not a certainty they even draft a QB with their first pick. They may choose to go the veteran QB route. In that scenario veteran X competes with Zappe and then maybe you draft a QB in 2nd round or even put it off a year as you dedicate the resources to building up the rest of the roster. I have heard guys talk about previous examples of this from other teams.

Jones is done as a Patriot. I think at most, we get a 7th round pick for him. His cap hit next year is around 4.9M.

 

[McGarnagle]

Zappe does suck and objectively is less talented and worse than Mac Jones, but it's fascinating and very telling how the entire offense has performed way more efficiently under Zappe than they did Jones.

Either the team has more confidence in him or the coaching staff set Mac up to fail and opened up the playback for Zappe. Probably a little of both. Either way, assuming the same braintrust continues, I don't see Mac taking another snap for this team, he's getting cut this summer. Zappe can stick around as the long term backup, he's got some Zolak in him.