Patriots quarterback's preseason performance opens up new competition
Patriots rookie QB/WR Malik Cunningham opened more than a few eyes in his preseason debut on Thursday against the Houston Texans and now New England's quarterback room looks a lot more interesting.
In the one series Cunningham played at quarterback, he appeared poised in the pocket, accurate on his throws and quick on his feet, recording three completions on four attempts for 19 passing yards. Cunningham's best throw came on a rollout pass to the end zone, though the ball hit off of WR Tre Nixon's hands, robbing Cunningham of his first NFL touchdown pass.
Nearly all of Cunningham's damage to the defense was done with his legs, however. On five carries, Cunningham accounted for 34 rushing yards and an ankle-breaking touchdown that brought life into Gillette Stadium.
Before the game, Cunningham was listed as the fourth-string quarterback on the team's unofficial depth chart, but the combination of third-string QB Trace McSorely's uneventful performance—1-of-3 for four passing yards—and Cunningham's excellence may mean that a change in the depth chart is imminent.
The extent of the change Cunningham will bring to the QB room remains the question. Second-stringer Bailey Zappe struggled to begin training camp and also failed to make a meaningful impact in the Patriots' first preseason game, but as of now, his job seems untouchable to Cunningham because of Zappe's successful rookie season. If Zappe's stock continues to plummet and Cunningham's begins to rise, however, then things may drastically change in the coming weeks.
The Patriots' next chance to evaluate their backup quarterbacks will come on August 19, when they face the Green Bay Packers for their second game of preseason at 8 PM EST.
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