Can Chiefs pass defense travel to Foxboro? Bailey Zappe's follow-up performance pivots on that answer
BOSTON -- With an explosive first-half performance last week in Pittsburgh, Bailey Zappe changed a lot of thoughts and moods around New England. He didn't change the outlook of the season, no, but his 196 passing yards and three touchdowns on the road on a short week did look shocking to those who had abandoned any and all hope of the Patriots' passing game looking competent this season.
And it certainly has people wondering if it can be replicated. Because sports are sports and thus unpredictable, it surely could happen again this week against the Chiefs. But it won't be easy.
When the Chiefs visit Foxboro on Sunday, they'll be bringing not just a fiery Patrick Mahomes but also one of the better pass defenses in the league.
The raw numbers are impressive. The Chiefs rank sixth in the NFL with 185 pass yards allowed per game and fourth in pass yards allowed per attempt at 5.7. Their interception total is low, with just seven on the year, but they're tied for having the third-most sacks with 42. Opposing quarterbacks have an 86.0 passer rating, the 10th-lowest mark in the league.
The raw numbers, though, don't take into account quality of opponent. And with the Chiefs having played the Bears, Jets and Raiders, some of the numbers could be skewed by facing lesser competition.
That's why it's worth looking at how some individual quarterbacks have fared against that Chiefs defense.
Russell Wilson (in Kansas City): 13-for-22 (59.1%), 95 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 sacks, 46.6 rating
Justin Fields (in Kansas City): 11-for-22 (50%), 99 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 58.7 rating
Jalen Hurts (in Kansas City): 14-for-22 (63.6%), 150 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 64.6 rating
Justin Herbert (in Kansas City): 17-for-30, 259 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 5 sacks, 68.6 rating
Trevor Lawrence (in Jacksonville): 22-for-41, 216 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 4 sacks, 68.7 rating
Josh Allen (in Kansas City): 23-for-42 (54.8%), 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 68.8 rating
Tua Tagovailoa (in Kansas City): 21-for-34 (61.8%), 193 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 87.0 rating
Kirk Cousins (in Minnesota): 29-for-47 (61.7%), 284 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 3 sacks, 92.9 rating
Jared Goff (in Kansas City): 22-for-35 (62.9%), 253 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack, 94.1 rating
Aidan O'Connell (in Las Vegas): 23-for-33 (69.7%), 248 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sacks, 101.6 rating
Zach Wilson (in New Jersey): 28-for-39 (71.8%), 245 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 105.2 rating
Jordan Love (in Green Bay): 25-for-36 (69.4%), 267 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, 2 sacks, 118.6 rating
Russell Wilson (in Denver): 12-for-19 (63.2%), 113 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 6 sacks, 119.3 rating
Some takeaways from those numbers:
--Their four best defensive performances and six of their seven best performances took place at home.
--Their four worst defensive performances took place on the road.
--Aidan O'Connell had his best single-game passer rating of the year, Russell Wilson and Zach Wilson had their second-best and Jordan Love had his third-best when facing the Chiefs defense. All of those were road games for the Chiefs.
--Russell Wilson also had his worst single-game passer rating in his other matchup with the Chiefs, with that one being in Kansas City. Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts had their second-lowest, while Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence had their third-lowest.
--Russell Wilson and Jordan Love won their home games against the Chiefs. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell did not win their home games against the Chiefs.
--All seven of the Chiefs' interceptions have come in home games.
--Opposing passers have a 69.3 rating in Kansas City. They have a 97.5 rating against Kansas City when the Chiefs have played on the road. The Chiefs have allowed 0.8 passing touchdowns per game at home, but 1.7 on the road. They also average 3.5 sacks per game at home, compared to 3.0 per game on road.
What it all means for Zappe is anyone's guess. But clearly, based on the struggles of that Chiefs passing defense on the road -- and against some lesser quarterbacks -- there's an opportunity for Zappe to provide another offensive jolt for the Patriots.
That outcome may not matter a tremendous amount for the Patriots, who are 3-10 and are playing for pride the rest of the way. It's possible -- if not likely -- that the organization doesn't believe that either Zappe or Mac Jones is the long-term solution at quarterback. (The training camp release of Zappe certainly indicated that.)
But for Zappe, Sunday will be a massive day. He was 32-for-64 for 299 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in his five appearances this season prior to last week. That included a borderline no-show at home against a Chargers defense that had arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL.
Yet in a span of six drives in Pittsburgh, he revived hope for his own standing in the NFL while also breathing some much-needed life into a Patriots team that had seemingly lost all offensive hope. And based on the way the Chiefs have performed against the likes of Zach Wilson and Aidan O'Connell, it appears possible that they take Zappe lightly and allow the 24-year-old to have a good passing day.
But of course, the Chiefs are coming off two straight losses for the first time since Weeks 2 and 3 of 2021. They're steaming mad, and they're a team that has never lost three straight games with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. That Chiefs offense is liable to put up 40 points at minimum against a Patriots defense that has beaten up on some bad QBs but certainly has plenty left to prove against Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the supporting cast.
Realistically, the Patriots will need their best offensive output of the season to keep up with the Chiefs. Much of that figures to land on the shoulders of Zappe.