The Cleveland Browns turned to quarterback Bailey Zappe for the final game of the 2024 NFL regular season on Saturday.
Cleveland was looking for more production than backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson gave the team, giving Zappe a chance to earn a spot on next year’s roster.
Zappe’s first start for the Browns was anything but memorable as the quarterback completed 16 of his 31 attempts for 170 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 35-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
According to analyst Adam “The Bull” Gerstenhaber, neither quarterback made a good impression on the front office.
Zappe did complete the Browns’ first touchdown pass since Week 14 as he found tight end Jordan Akins for a 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, cutting Cleveland’s deficit to 21-10 briefly.
The Ravens added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice, and Cleveland finished the year with a six-game losing streak.
Zappe was the fourth starting quarterback for the Browns this year, and the third-year signal-caller became the 40th starting quarterback in the reborn franchise’s history.
Cleveland’s quarterbacks have thrown 25 interceptions this season.
Unless a team tops that figure, the Browns will lead the NFL in interceptions thrown for a second consecutive season.
