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Baily Zappe is the Browns No. 2 quarterback vs. Bengals today with Jameis Winston injured


Baily Zappe is the Browns No. 2 quarterback vs. Bengals today with Jameis Winston injured

CINCINNATI -- Bailey Zappe will serve as the Browns backup quarterback today to Dorian Thompson-Robinson with Jameis Winston as the inactive third QB with a sore shoulder, a league source told cleveland.com.

Winston, who suffered the injury during last week's 21-7 loss to the Chiefs, was listed as questionable for the game.

He said Friday "I'm good," but it was clear he probably wouldn't play, and that he's likely played his last ball of the season for the Browns.

Given he's playing on a one-year deal worth $4 million, he might not play for the Browns ever again.

Zappe, the fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022 out of Western Kentucky, said Friday he's was eager to serve as the backup if called upon.

"It's obviously a good opportunity, obviously going to help DTR as much as possible with him starting this game," Zappe said. "Do as much as I can between series, answer any questions that he has, help him out looking over the game plan or looking at the iPad. Just doing everything I can, like I usually would if I was the emergency (QB) when Jameis was starting.

"So nothing really changes, it's just now you're really one play away, so the kind of mindset obviously changes. So just continue to take every rep like it's a game rep with the scout team and everything and just go from there."

Zappe, signed off the Chiefs practice squad on Oct. 22 after Deshaun Watson suffered the ruptured Achilles, picked up the scheme and terminology here quickly because it's largely the same as what he ran all offseason under former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in New England, where he's also coordinator.

"I'm ready whenever that time comes, obviously, if it comes," he said. "I've been in this offense. Whenever I was in New England earlier this year, I was in the same offense with AVP and those guys. So the transition here really wasn't that big. I already knew it when I came here. So if the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to do everything I can to win the game like I have before. So that's really about it."

He said he feels like he's shown Stefanski enough to feel confident putting him in the game if it comes to that.

"As far as the scout reps and taking advantage of those, I feel like I've done a good job," he said. "Coach has obviously told me a lot of good things, that I've done a good job and continue doing it. So he sees it. So that's a good thing that he sees it. So just got to keep going the last two weeks."

In his two seasons, Zappe has gone 4-4, including a 38-15 victory over the Browns in 2022 in which he threw for 308 yards and two TDs en route to a 118.4 rating. Last season, he starting the final six games of the season for the Patriots, going 2-4. His last game was a 17-3 loss to the Jets in which he went 12 of 30 for 88 yards with 0 TDs and 2 INTs and a 20.1 rating. He was sacked seven times, and would love to replace that memory with a new appearance.

"Obviously everybody's going to say I would love to play," he said. "Obviously don't want any injuries for that to be that reason, but if the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to do what I've done the last eight times that I've started and just go out there and win and do everything I can to help the team."

He's admired Thompson-Robinson's work ethic this season.

"Oh, I mean it's great," Zappe said. "He has a great mindset. He's just been the same person every day. He's been getting out to practice early every day. We usually do. We're always out there. He's going through plays, I'm warming up, we're always out there together. So he's preparing. We're always watching a lot of film. We always stay after. Last Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, all three of us stayed after to watch more film. So I think he's preparing well and it just comes down to Sunday."

If he does get in the game, Zappe understands the assignment.

"Job No. 1. ... Just keep it in your hands and keep it in everybody else's hands on your team," he said.

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