Bailey Zappe earns first career win as Patriots rout Lions amid throwback celebration in Foxboro
FOXBORO -- The Patriots had some questions entering Sunday's game. Sitting at 1-3, and still without quarterback Mac Jones, a win against the 1-3 Detroit Lions was no sure thing.
Yet when the two teams finally took the field on Sunday at Gillette, the Patriots left no doubt about the way this game would go.
With throwback elements scattered all around Gillette Stadium, the Patriots donned their red jerseys and white helmets for the first time in a decade, looking stylish as they bowled over the Lions, 29-0.
Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe picked up his first career win, completing 17 of his 21 passes for 188 yards with one touchdown and one interception. That pick, though, came off a bobble by Nelson Agholor. Zappe also ran three times for 10 yards, before his late-game kneeldowns.
The Patriots' defense came up with the first big play of the day, stuffing a fourth-and-1 run behind the line of scrimmage to force a turnover on downs near midfield on the first possession of the game.
Nick Folk kicked a 37-yard field goal on the ensuing possession, giving New England a 3-0 lead. Lions defensive back Salvion Smith suffered an injury on that drive, requiring a stretcher and an ambulance to be removed from the field after colliding with Hunter Henry at the line of scrimmage.
Rookie Jack Jones then snuffed out the Lions' next drive, picking off Jared Goff at the 3-yard line to keep the Lions off the board on their second possession.
A 49-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson helped set up another Folk field goal to make it a 6-0 New England lead.
With the Patriots driving in an attempt to build on that lead, Nelson Agholor bobbled a Zappe pass into the air, allowing DeShon Elliott to make a diving interception near midfield, midway through the second quarter.
But the New England defense made sure that turnover didn't hurt, with Judon sacking Goff on a fourth-and-9 play from the New England 32-yard line, stripping the ball from the QB and setting up a 59-yard scoop and score from Kyle Dugger to make it a 13-0 New England lead.
Folk kicked his third field goal of the first half as time expired in the second quarter, stretching the lead to 16-0.
After the Lions failed to move the chains on a fourth down on the ensuing drive, the Patriots went 66 yards on eight plays for a touchdown, with Zappe hitting Jakobi Meyers for a 24-yard score to give New England a 23-0 lead late in the third quarter.
The Lions threatened to score on their next possession, after a 36-yard catch-and-run by Craig Reynolds. But the Patriots' defense came up with a fourth-down stop, making Detroit 0-for-4 on fourth down on the day.
Raekwon McMillan stuffed another Detroit run behind the line of scrimmage to stop another fourth-down attempt, making the Lions the first team to go 0-for-5 on fourth down since 1995.
Folk added another field goal -- this one a 29-yarder -- to improve to 5-for-5 on the day to make it 29-0 Patriots. That kick made it 63 straight successful field goals of under 50 yards for Folk.
The Lions once again went for it on fourth down on their next drive, and they once again did not convert, making it 0-for-6 on fourth down for the day.
Now 2-3 on the season, the Patriots head to Cleveland next week to face the Browns.
