Zappe Fevah may be spreading throughout New England, but Bailey Zappe’s own temperature seems nice and cool.

“Chill” has been an operative word for Zappe’s teammates in recent weeks, with the Patriots riding a two-game win streak and an admirable performance for the rookie in a road loss to the Packers. They’ve been as impressed as anyone with Zappe’s poise and calmness under challenging circumstances.

“Bailey’s chill, he’s calm,” says right guard Mike Onwenu. “He’s super-chill,” says left tackle Trent Brown. Tight end Hunter Henry agrees, “chill.”

So it comes as no surprise that Zappe continues to be his same, chill self, even ahead of a Monday Night Football clash with the Chicago Bears coming up. The routine has changed, the lights are about to get a lot brighter, but Zappe’s continuing to keep that heart rate down.

“As far as preparation, nothing’s going to change,” Zappe said Wednesday. “I’m going to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing for the last seven weeks now. With the Monday game we kind of get an extra day to get on to the Bears.

“Just this week working on some things that we saw the last few weeks of the film. Like fundamental-wise, working on that in practice but other than that nothing’s really going to change at all.”

Zappe posted a 118.4 passer rating in last Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns. He made a few throws in the game, mainly to fellow rookie Tyquan Thornton, that were eye-opening. The “chill” stuff is reflected in his ball security and the comfort he’s shown running an NFL offense, despite starting the season as the Patriots’ third-string quarterback.

Meanwhile, according to

#Patriots Mac Jones is currently at 85-to-90 percent, according to a source. It's up to the team whether or not he plays Monday against the Bears. He's been open to playing through the ankle injury. https://t.co/vZVnbfncjc

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 19, 2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, incumbent starter Mac Jones is at about 85-90 percent in his rehab from a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 3. Kyed also added that it’s “up to the team” whether Jones plays next Monday night, and that he’s been “open to playing through” the injury. That much is evidenced by the fact that Jones hasn’t missed a full week of practice since getting injured.

Head coach Bill Belichick seemed lukewarm about Zappe’s performance in Cleveland, an indication that he’s inoculated from Zappe Fevah. Perhaps he’s an early adopter of the “Maccine”. Among the correctable mistakes that Zappe alluded to on Wednesday were penalties for delay of game and intentional grounding, and some spotty accuracy in the first half after he’d lost a fumble.

But Zappe has certainly played well enough to make Belichick’s quarterback decision a tough one. Realistically, he’s going to want to go back to Jones at some point, but now he’s got to think about how to time that transition. If the fevah continues to take hold, it’s going to become that much harder to take Zappe off the field.

Don’t expect the rookie to feel any of that heat. The kid’s a cucumber. And there’s reason to believe that if he plays again next Monday night, he’ll be the same chill guy New England has quickly gotten to know.

The Patriots and Bears kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET next Monday night. We’ll continue to keep you posted on the quarterback situation as the game approaches. Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.