Inside Bailey Zappe's Mindset and Expectations for Patriots QB Vs. Lions

Cassel: Inside Zappe's mindset and expectations for Patriots QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Bailey Zappe is in an interesting situation. He had an incredible college career at Western Kentucky, but when you're the third-string quarterback, your mindset is, "Sure, I have to be ready to play, but I really won't play unless something crazy happens."

Just four weeks into the season, that crazy did happen.

So for him, it's just understanding this is another opportunity and that he's capable of seizing it -- and I think he is.

What would a Zappe-led offense look like Sunday?

The coaches should devise a game plan to help him settle down early, similar to what they did last week in Green Bay. I thought establishing the run early was key, since that set up some good play-action passes and throws down the field. That should be a big part of Sunday's game against Detroit as well.

New England always does a great job of amplifying players' strengths, so the coaches will look at Zappe, analyze what he was able to do well last week and put together a game plan that will set him up for success. I think they've done a really good job of that early on with a lot of these players.

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I was really impressed with how Zappe handled his situation last Sunday. The moment wasn't overwhelming for him. He wasn't forcing balls or making bad mistakes. That was part of his experience in college, and probably why they liked him in New England.

He's a cool, calm customer who went out there, executed the plays and got more comfortable as the game went on while making some big time throws. He didn't put the ball in jeopardy, and that's really what they're going to preach this week.

Time is on Zappe's side

It's important to note that Zappe is not too far removed from the preseason, which should benefit him.

He got a lot of playing time in those preseason games and gained experience operating this offense. So he should be more comfortable now versus taking over in Week 10 or 12, when you're primarily running scouting team and haven't gotten any meaningful reps for months. It's always harder to get back to running the offense with effectiveness after that much time between meaningful reps.

Zappe already started earning the trust of his teammates last week, too. How you operate inside the huddle and at the line of scrimmage goes a long way with your teammates, because you can show them that you're prepared and can execute the offense effectively.

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So his ability to command in the huddle, call the play accurately, get to the line of scrimmage and execute pre-snap motions while staying poised -- both in the preseason and last Sunday -- that will give his teammates confidence entering this week.

The backup quarterback's dilemma

Every quarterback wants to get reps with the starting unit. But when you're in-season, you only have so much time to spend on the field, and you don't want to run your guys into the ground after practices because they have to keep their bodies fresh. So, when you're a backup taking over as a starter, you just have adapt to the starting wide receivers as you go.

Sure, you'd love to have more reps, but that's the reality of being a backup quarterback. Part of your training is understanding your situation, and that you have to be ready to deliver despite not getting any previous reps with the first team.

You have to take advantage of your first-team reps in practice this week, develop as much chemistry as you can with your teammates, and when guys get open Sunday, just deliver the ball in the right position.

The importance of the "script"

The opening script is important for every offense. It really helps you focus on what you need to do. When you know the plays, you can go through them multiple times and really visualize them to understand what you're trying to do. You can just go into further detail in your preparation when you know what's going to be called first and second down.

Preparation is key, especially for a young guy like Zappe. If he has an understanding for how he's going to start the game, that should give him an extra comfort level entering Sunday.

A lot of this offensive structure is based on the run game, and if they can get that going, that will help settle him down. Emotions always run high when you first go into a game, particularly at Lambeau Field. But this week is going to be different because he'll have all the reps leading up to the game. If he's the starter, they'll try to give him the lion's share of the reps in practice and then he'll be better prepared mentally going into the game.

New QB, same mindset

I don't think this team views itself as an underdog, ever. They always have a different type of mentality in New England. So, their approach is just business as usual. The message doesn't change.

They won't make too much out of Zappe being the starter this week. Different guys get hurt every week, so while this situation might get highlighted outside the building because it involves the quarterback position, it won't really be highlighted internally. Zappe is just the guy who's going to be calling plays.

There won't be a "rallying cry" for Zappe this week. There's no, "Let's win this one for Bailey." This is his job, and he's on the roster for a reason: because the team has faith in him.

So the message this week will be simple: "Let's get to work and start preparing for the Lions."

Editor's Note: Matt Cassel played 14 years in the NFL as a quarterback, including four with the Patriots from 2005 to 2008. He serves as an analyst for NBC Sports Boston, appearing on Pre/Postgame Live, as a guest on Tom Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast every Thursday, and as a columnist each week during the season.