New England Patriots: Five Takeaways From Win Over Philadelphia Eagles

Aug 15, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter during the preseason game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Mallett Shine

Following Tom Brady is no easy task, but Jimmy Garoppolo managed to play extremely well after Brady’s night was over. Similar to last week, he was accurate with his throws, had good pocket presence, and flashed more of that mobility he displayed against Washington. It should be noted that Garoppolo was the second quarterback on the field for New England, which means he went up against the starters for a few plays, before slicing up the Eagles’ backups for the majority of the time he was out there.

But as good as Garoppolo was, I think Ryan Mallett played even better. Granted, he was throwing against worse competition than Garoppolo was, but for a guy that had a rough outing in his first preseason game, this was exactly what Mallett needed. We all know about his arm strength, but yesterday he allowed himself to display it. He got in a nice rhythm, was confident in the pocket, and just let it rip. He finished the day with 92 passing yards, and two total touchdowns.

Do we have a backup quarterback competition on our hands? I think we do. Garoppolo has proven that he has what it takes to be an effective signal caller in this league, so from here on out, I believe he will be battling Mallett for the right to back up Brady.