Struggles for Mac Jones, Patriots offense spark chants for Bailey Zappe

All some New England Patriots fans want for Christmas is rookie Bailey Zappe in at quarterback — or at least something that can provide a spark to the offense.

The Patriots opened up their Christmas Eve matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with a dud, opening with three-and-outs on their first two drives of the game with Mac Jones getting the start at QB.

The team’s second drive finished with Jones throwing incomplete over the middle on an ugly-looking play where the receiver wasn’t looking for the ball. The offense was met with boos and some rumblings of “We want Zappe!” as they came off the field.

It wasn’t until the second quarter that New England finally converted a first down and moved the chains. However, the offense came up with a whole new form of frustration a few plays later when Jones completed a 4-yard pass to Jakobi Meyers on 3rd-and-5.

As the punt unit came out, the boos were even louder, as were the “We want Zappe!” chants.

The Patriots offense has struggled this season with Jones at the helm and Matt Patricia calling plays. Meanwhile, the Patriots had gone undefeated in games that Zappe started while Jones was out.

New England’s coaching staff seems content to stick with Jones down the stretch — though they’ve yet to openly commit to him publicly. Clearly, parts of the fanbase are of a different opinion.

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