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Bailey Zappe is making a name for himself in the NFL after a blowout victory over the Cleveland Browns in his second start for the New England Patriots on Sunday. As a little-known fourth-round draft pick, his agent took to social media to take aim at the doubters.
After taking over for Brian Hoyer in Week 4 — who had stepped in for an injured Mac Jones — the 23-year-old rookie had his best game yet this season, going 24-of-34 for 309 yards and two touchdowns to steamroll past the Browns, 38-15.
New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe avoids a sack by Cleveland Browns' Grant Delpit. (Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Zappe is 2-0 as a starter for the Patriots this season, but according to his agent, Nicole Lynn, not everyone believed the former Western Kentucky quarterback could make it in the NFL.
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"Trying to restrain myself from texting every team who told me Bailey Zappe couldn’t play in the NFL," Lynn said in a tweet.
Former NFL coach June Jones told Fox News Digital in April, ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, that he believed Zappe was one of the most "accurate" passers in his class, making an ironic comparison to New England’s current QB1.
"I think there’s a couple down-the-line guys. The kid from Western Kentucky (Bailey Zappe), I think he’s the best guy. I think if he was 6-foot-3, he would probably be listed that way because he’s a better passer than all of them," Jones said at the time.
New England Patriots' Bailey Zappe pumps his fist following a touchdown. (Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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"Athletically, he’s good enough to move around and create some stuff, too. But I really liked his accuracy down the field. He’s more accurate. I read some comments about him that some guys question his accuracy. Well, if you watched the film, there’s no question this guy can throw."
He continued: "I kind of feel like how I felt about Mac Jones last year when nobody really thought he was the guy. Then all of a sudden everybody went back and reevaluated and found out he was one of those guys, and New England was kinda lucky to get him."
New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry (85) during the second half against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 16, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
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Sunday’s win follows Zappe’s first victory as an NFL starter, where he finished with 188 yards and a touchdown in a 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions.
"We’re just playing football," Zappe said Sunday. "It’s what we’ve been playing since we were 5 years old, so it’s fun to play with these guys."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.