On his way to becoming one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Bill Belichick has been able to succeed with many different quarterbacks -- Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, and Cam Newton to name a few. But his 324th win as a head coach this past weekend, which tied him with George Halas for the second-most all-time, came with an unlikely arm calling the shots for him on offense.
Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and the Patriots' third-string quarterback, has been extremely impressive while filling in as both Jones and veteran Brian Hoyer have missed time due to injuries. His performance in a 38-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 has earned the young QB a special place in the history of the Patriots, as is now reflected in the team's Hall of Fame.
The Patriots Hall of Fame is now displaying the jersey Zappe wore during his Week 6 victory, where he became the first rookie quarterback to ever win in his first two starts and be credited with a passer rating of 100 or greater. Zappe received a passer rating of 118.4 after completing 24 of 34 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, one week after he received a passer rating of 100 in a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions.
It didn't take long for Bailey Zappe to make the @Patriots Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/NOdajMixIF
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2022
Zappe's jersey was displayed alongside a game ball from Belichick's 324th win, as well as the gloves worn by running back Rhamondre Stevenson after he ran for a career-high 161 yards against the Lions.
Zappe's hot start has helped right the ship after a 1-3 start for New England, and it's fascinated observers to the point that there have been talks of a quarterback controversy. However, such talks seem to be exaggerated: According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Mac Jones will re-take his place as the Patriots' starting quarterback once he is healthy enough to return.
