Bailey Zappe’s 3 TD passes help Patriots zap Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were once 7-4 and had teams that would both have 2-10 records next up on their schedule.

Ah, the strangeness that can happen in an NFL season, The AFC North team is now 7-6 after losing to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in succession.

Thursday’s 21-18 loss to the Patriots was disconcerting because a team that had all sorts of trouble scoring got three TD passes from Bailey Zappe … in the first half.

The Patriots didn’t score after the break but Mitchell Trubisky was ineffective and could only manage one touchdown drive after halftime.

Trubisky was 22-of-35 for 190 yards a TD and a pick.

Zabbe was 19-of-28 for 240 and the three TDs.

The Patriots came into the game losers of 8 of 9 and 5 straight. They had scored a total of 13 points in their last three games.

Against the Steelers, they topped that three-game total less than a minute into the second quarter when Zappe hit Hunter Henry with a TD pass.

He added another one to his tight end midway through the quarter for a 21-3 lead.

Pittsburgh scored the last two TDs of the game but still came up short in front of a restless home crowd.

The Steelers next are at Indianapolis before finishing the season at home against the Bengals and with road games at Seattle and Baltimore.

The losses to the 2-10 Cardinals and Patriots have made their path to the playoffs much more difficult.

Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire