The outlook was grim for the New England Patriots through the first month of the 2022 NFL season. Their 1-3 start, which included an injury to starting quarterback Mac Jones, gave fans few reasons for optimism going forward.
Two weeks later, the Patriots appear to have found their footing with consecutive wins over the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. Rookie QB Bailey Zappe stole the show with two impressive performances filling in for Jones.
Curran: QB controversy? Not if Mac Jones is who we think he is
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Most of New England has caught Zappe Fever by now, but are we overlooking head coach Bill Belichick's contributions to the Patriots' turnaround? How much credit does Belichick deserve for the last two wins? Phil Perry joined the latest episode of Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast to discuss Belichick's impact.
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"I spoke to a coach in the conference before the Browns game. Just asking, how do you think this one's going to play out? Because I did think the Browns had some talent even though they're dealing with a backup quarterback situation of their own. And I wasn't sure the Patriots would be able to stop the run," Perry said.
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"This guy waffled, and he said, 'Isn't it funny, even when you look at a team like the Patriots and the situation is what it is, and the quarterback is who he is, you still don't feel real comfortable picking against them because of one guy.' It's because of Bill Belichick. I think we can still say, he might not have his early aughts fastball, but I think he's probably damn close. I still think he's an elite head coach and that's something they've benefitted from."
Curran says some of Belichick's moves off the field may have taken away from the success he has had on it.
"He's got his sideline and gameday acumen intact," Curran said. "And he does have the capability to, when he gets in against a team that is dumb or has the propensity to be convinced to play dumbly, then he could do it. That's what he did against the Lions, that's what he did against the Browns. ...
"It's the decisions made around it that make us question Bill. Like, why is Matt Patricia the play-caller? All those decisions make us skeptical that the gameday fastball won't be there, but the gameday fastball is there because he's got such a volume of knowledge in his head."
Also discussed in the episode: Are the Patriots an average team playing well… or are they good? Should Patriots roll with Bailey Zappe if Mac Jones is cleared to play? Looking ahead to the Bears. And "Irrelevant Questions" with Deatrich Wise.