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Sorry, Patriots Haters, but Jimmy Garoppolo Is Going to Make You Miserable Again
- Updated: September 12, 2016
GLENDALE, Ariz. — It was after the first New England touchdown drive and Jimmy Garoppolo had looked, well, like Tom Brady. Garoppolo walked to the Patriots sideline, snapped an ammonia capsule in half, and inhaled.
The powerful fumes caused his head to shake back and forth. Then he smiled. He was going to enjoy this moment.
No, Garoppolo wasn’t perfect Sunday night, and if you want to give credit to a Patriots defense that weathered the GOATish Larry Fitzgerald blitzkrieg, you wouldn’t be wrong.
Yet the Patriots’ 23-21 victory at University of Phoenix Stadium showed so much about Garoppolo. So much good. The main thing being this: While Brady is tossing footballs in his backyard, eating some good barbecue and watching Star Trek marathons, the Patriots are in good hands. Really good hands.
As old as Carson Palmer looked—statues look at Palmer and think he’s too stiff—Garoppolo looked as sprightly. He’s faster than you think, stronger than you think, and he ran the offense with smart efficiency.
Think about what Garoppolo did. There was no Rob Gronkowski for the Patriots. No Dion Lewis. Both starting tackles were out of the contest. There was no Rob Ninkovich on defense. And still the Patriots won.
Of all the new starting quarterbacks this week, Garoppolo was the best.
“Guys around me responded well,” he told the media. Already, he knows the right things to say. Give credit to others, say as little as possible. It’s the Patriots way.
In his first start 15 years ago, Brady went 13-of-23 for 168 yards and no touchdowns. In his first start, Garoppolo was 24-of-33 for 264 yards and one touchdown. His quarterback rating was 106.1.
But let’s get back to what this all really means. It means there is an excellent chance that not only will the team go 4-0 while Brady is gone, but it will also now be able to again win the division, and that 4-0 cushion will likely mean the …
