What Jimmy Garoppolo has to Offer in Tom Brady’s Absence
In Tom Brady's absence, Jimmy Garoppolo needs to be more careful and not be too good. On Friday night when the New England Patriots faced Carolina Panthers in exhibition game no.3, Garoppolo was quite harried. He however managed to complete nine out of fifteen passes throwing a total of 57 yards. He also had an oncoming rush in a manner Roy Jr. will at Sigma Chi next week. As the NFL season kicks-off, you can rely on NFL spread.
Rated at 67.9, it is supposedly his worst preseason rating with 3-0 New England. The quarterback’s performance hardly evoked a fraction of the glee that Brady evoked when he found Chris Hogan who for a stylish touchdown in a game which they won 19-17 against defending NFC champions. Tom will be away from field action until October when his four-game suspension expires.
Tony Romo, who on Thursday night suffered a broken bone in his back during their encounter with the Seattle Seahawks, is likely to miss at least half of the season. He is however expected to campaign to take part in the Dallas Cowboys final pre-season game.
Bell Belichick, the Patriots coach, cannot allow Brady to appear on the field on their crash against New York Giants no matter how loudly he complains about how prepared he is. While it is true it has been a strange pre-season for Brady, he will have to sit on the sidelines for the first quarter of the season. He will have to deal with the fact that he will not play for a team he has helped win four super bowl titles.
However, it did not seem a difficult task until last week, when he came up against the Cleveland Browns. Tom Brady proved that his competitive juices are still on and they are not drying up any time soon. He clearly does not have time for Garoppolo, he sees him as a mere four-game replacement.
Going over pass routes with Joey Galloway is what Brady seemed to be more interested in. He did not show interest in going over the play sheets with Garoppolo. Brady wants to play until he is 45 years old, and based on his performance in the last two seasons he is not going anywhere soon.
There is however a cold reality that might wallop Brady. What if the Patriots perform well without him? What if Garoppolo is a good player? Since coach Belichick has made it clear that Brady will assume his starting role come October, Garoppolo is faced with immense pressure to perform.
If Brady is to play till he is 45, Garoppolo will be 31. It is unlikely that Brady will stay on top of his game for the next seven years. It is also not sensible for Belichick to dismiss a league thirsty young quarterback at the expense of a top-notch quarterback.
In a statement, Brady said that he has several opportunities left in his life. He is willing to take every opportunity that comes his way. He added that whenever he sees his teammate in uniform, he only wants to be out there playing with them.
This can explain why Brady played on Friday night against Carolina. It might not be the best thing for Patriots, but it is best for Brady. This comes as a challenge for Garoppolo if he should succeed and play extremely well if Belichick is to consider him for taking over Brady’s job any time soon. The fact that Brady put up a better performance than him on Friday is not a good thing for him.
