COMMENTARY
In a season where little has gone right in Foxborough, Patriots fans were gift-wrapped a glimmer of hope on Christmas Eve.
Sure, the 2023 Patriots were still a long way away from fielding a competitive roster.
But the sight of Bailey Zappe orchestrating a second-half comeback on the road — and Chad Ryland booting a game-winning field goal 56 yards through the thin, chilled air in Denver — offered up a feeling that the roots of a retooled roster were perhaps already in place in New England.
Despite getting cut at the end of training camp, Zappe’s recent reign as New England’s QB1 has offered up stronger returns than anything drummed up by Mac Jones this season.