New England Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo has an impressive week
The New England Patriots recently lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Jimmy Garoppolo was impressive in the game.
I just recently completed my 8th Annual Father/Son Trip to New England Patriots training camp with my now 13 year old son. While listening to Boston sports talk radio on the way home, I heard Scott Zolak and Mike Felger criticizing Jimmy Garoppolo for his “attitude” around camp.
They were saying “he’s not fired up enough…he can’t beat Brady for the job so he’s just going through the motions.” That’s not the Garoppolo I saw at practice in joint camp versus the Jaguars. It’s also not the Garoppolo I saw in the first preseason game either.
Let me start by saying, I don’t need Jimmy G to be overly exuberant and “try to beat Brady for the job”. Let me also be clear in stating that I don’t want to see Jimmy be complacent at being the backup either. The guy I saw at training camp that day was still the second best quarterback on the field.
He looked more relaxed and comfortable than Jaguars’ starter, Blake Bortles, did. That said, I didn’t see much separation between Bortles or his backup, Chad Henne, either. What I saw from Garoppolo was a calm, cool, collected QB, comfortable in the pocket and with his reads. He had a few dump off passes to his running backs, usually James White, but when his receivers got open down the field, he was right on target with his throws.
In the preseason opener, Jimmy looked even better in a more competitive situation. He was extremely mobile in the pocket (which is a bad sign for the depth of the Patriots offensive line) and made some really tough throws. He had a nice scramble to his right, throwing across his body to his tight end in the second quarter for a first down.
His TD pass to Austin Carr certainly impressed the Patriots sideline including Brady. Garoppolo moved nicely in the pocket to give himself some time and threw a jump ball that would have harmlessly gone out the back of the endzone if Carr hadn’t made a nice leap and grab.
Next: 3 Takeaways from loss to Jags
In the words of the great Aaron Rodgers, “RELAX”. I don’t need Jimmy Garoppolo to be the “next Tom Brady”. I need him to be a competent QB who can run the offense efficiently and grow into the leadership role which is currently occupied by Mr. Terrific. That’s what I see in Jimmy G now and why I have no fears for a future drop off with this franchise that has established a culture of dominance in the AFC East through the 2000s.