Browns are slightly below average in both yards per game and points per game. They’re not great, but you’ve exaggerated how bad they really are.
If you want to play this game, you’d have to remove every “good” performance Mac had last year against mediocre or bad defenses to justify arguing that he’s the better choice than Zappe should Zappe have three good-to-great games in a row as a starter, and a near upset coming in cold against Green Bay in Green Bay.
No one is saying Zappe is the second coming of Tom Brady based on what we’ve seen. No one thinks he’s a slam dunk over Mac. But remember, Mac’s training wheels were so large last season that he played a game where he basically didn’t throw a ball downfield because he didn’t (and still doesn’t) have the arm to deal with strong winds. That’s kind of unprecedented for an NFL quarterback. He’s not some off-the-charts talent, especially - as it appears - standing side-by-side with Zappe.
So if Zappe keeps playing well, and the offense keeps moving the ball against NFL defenses filled with grown men being paid generational wealth to stop him from moving the ball, why wouldn’t you ride it out?
Because Mac was a first rounder who dinked and dunked the team to 10-7 before getting smoked by the Bills in the playoffs and then absolutely shitting the bed his first few games of 2022?
If Mac had the talent of Herbert or maybe even Lawrence I’d get wanting to chase his “ceiling” despite a backup playing better. But he’s not those guys, and he never will be. He’s physically slow on the field, kinda smart in interviews but kind of dopey on the field, and apparently is in the midst of butting heads with a coaching staff that has a fourth round kid looking like an above-average NFL starter.
If Zappe is doing everything right and winning because of it, why on earth would you bench him? So we don’t upset the Legendary Mac Jones?
