Jimmy Garoppolo was better than passable — in fact, he may be AFC East’s second-best QB
There's no quarterback controversy in New England, but the Patriots do have a surplus of talent at the position.
COMMENTARY
The couch dweller’s assessment of Jimmy Garoppolo’s first NFL start:
He has an accurate, strong arm, and he trusts it. His dart to James White to convert a first down on what would be the New England Patriots’ winning drive in their 23-21 victory over the talented Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night was straight out of a Bledsoe-to-Coates highlight reel.
He moves better than any quarterback the Patriots have had since … hell, I don’t know, Steve Grogan? It’s been a while since the Patriots had a quarterback with some open-field shimmy.
He does not feel the rush especially well — he got rid of the ball just in time a couple of times, but it seemed he didn’t know it was just in time, if that makes sense — and needs to keep his eyes downfield when he’s rolling out. Still, he’s remarkably poised for a QB who had 31 career attempts entering the game.
It’s apparent now that he was ready for this, and he knew he was ready for this. I’m curious how surprised Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels were by the performance. Best guess? Not much, if at all. It seems they knew what they were doing when they sat him out during the final preseason game, huh? Once again, we have more evidence that the default reactions of media and fans to their seemingly unconventional decisions should be something like: This is weird, and it’s probably going to work.
Irrefutable, unassailable conclusion: Garoppolo is already the second-best quarterback in the AFC East to Brady. The Patriots are winning three games, minimum, in Brady’s absence. He will return with a multiple-game lead in the division. (They’re already up a game on the other three teams, all of whom lost Sunday). The offseason asking price for Garoppolo begins at three first-rounders. Based on what they gave up for Sam Bradford, the Vikings are probably already prepared to offer six.
All right, so I’ll admit to some facetiousness, though I’m dead serious in saying that I saw more out of Garoppolo Sunday night than I ever have from Ryan Tannehill, who is entering his fifth year with the Dolphins and in some circles is considered good at his job. It’s impossible not to be thoroughly impressed with Garoppolo’s performance, especially in context of his limited experience and the towering standard set by the legend who has owned the role for the past 15 seasons. He completed 24 of 33 passes for 264 yards, with one touchdown — an almost nonchalant 37-yard strike to Chris Hogan — and no interceptions, though he did fumble once.
Talk about your ideal outcomes. Garoppolo led the Patriots to a road victory over one of the four best teams in the league last season, an achievement for any quarterback. The degree of difficulty was amplified when Rob Gronkowski, arguably the most dynamic offensive weapon in the league, and left tackle Nate Solder were ruled out on Friday. Yet, he thrived. He completed 8 of 10 throws on third down, seven for first downs, and converted three third downs on the winning drive.
He played so well that there are probably some owners who intend to get Roger Goodell on the phone this afternoon to complain that he should be suspended for using what appeared to be smelling salts before the game.
From a football standpoint, Sunday night was confirmation that we’re in for a fun September around here. While Brady was at home sending Gisele on crossing patterns — her husband still cannot throw and catch the ball — Garoppolo was assuring New England that the offense is in good hands. (Not to mention that he has good hands, catching one of his own batted passes and gaining a couple of yards. Wait, does that disprove Gisele’s theory?)
It was strange, especially early, to see someone else running the Patriots’ offense in a meaningful situation. In an obvious sense, it was infuriating, because the scenario occurred only because of dishonest machinations by a league that remains irresistible despite the dastardly buffoons who run it. Garoppolo’s presence in the huddle was visceral confirmation that Goodell’s shameful scheme worked.
Wouldn’t it be something, then, if it didn’t work at all? I imagine Garoppolo will struggle at times over the next three weeks, now that opponents have actual, meaningful film of his tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. But save for a fumble on a ferocious hit, a big mistake never came Sunday night. Just when you got nervous or thought Patrick Peterson was about to jump a route, he’d hit a big play.
Garoppolo is not Brady, and anyone who suggests there is a quarterback controversy now is suffering from severe cognitive malfunction and should be rushed to a hospital immediately. But what the Patriots do have is a surplus of talented quarterbacks, and perhaps even a successor to arguably the greatest ever to play.
If Deflategate ends up being the impetus for discovering that Jimmy Garoppolo is a really good quarterback, well, I’d love to be there when that realization permeates Goodell’s shield-thick skull. Brady will never get total justice. But the Patriots are already on their way.
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