Bailey Zappe led the New England Patriots to another victory on Sunday.
The fourth-round pick completed 24 of 34 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns. Following that triumph, Zappe has accomplished a historic feat.
As noted by NFL on CBS, he’s the first rookie quarterback to win and post a quarterback rating of 100 or higher in each of his first two career starts.
Zappe made his NFL debut off the bench in place of Brian Hoyer, who got hurt while replacing Mac Jones. While New England fell short to the Green Bay Packers in overtime, the FBS single-season touchdown leader posted a 107.4 quarterback rating.
He then notched a passer rating of exactly 100.0 in a 29-0 rout over the Detroit Lions. He converted 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards, a touchdown, and a pick.
“To be quite honest, I’m just taking advantage of my opportunity,” Zappe said after the Week 6 win, per Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The way Zappe is playing, Bill Belichick might have a difficult decision to make when Jones returns from an ankle injury. New England scored 50 points in the first three games behind the second-year quarterback, who threw five interceptions.
We’ll see which young passer leads the Patriots into a Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.