FOXBORO, Mass. — If Jimmy Garoppolo gave his offensive line any Christmas presents, he might want to request them back.
The rookie quarterback started the second half of the New England Patriots’ Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills with starter Tom Brady resting on the bench. Garoppolo was under constant pressure behind an offensive line that has been struggling as of late and was missing three starters. Facing one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, it was a recipe for disaster.
All things considered, however, Garoppolo was impressive during his first extensive action in a regular-season game. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 90 yards and had four rushing attempts for 16 yards — all while being sacked three times.
“I thought Jimmy competed well,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a postgame conference call. “He was under some pressure. Some things were good, other things could have been better. I thought he competed well. Some of the opportunities where he had to make plays, he made them. Definitely some positive things there, other things to learn from, build on.”
Garoppolo’s most impressive play was a 9-yard scramble for a first down at the beginning of the fourth quarter after he evaded oncoming pressure.
Garoppolo certainly isn’t the fastest quarterback in the NFL, but he flashed some impressive agility that he says is instinctual.
“It’s something that just kind of kicks in during the game,” Garoppolo said. “If you think about it, you’re going to get hit.”
Garoppolo was hit anyway, which he said isn’t always a bad thing since he wears a red non-contact jersey in practice.
“It was good and bad,” Garoppolo said smiling. “It’s been a while, so it’s always nice to get that first hit out of the way. But the less, the better.”
Garoppolo said he didn’t get the word from Belichick that he would be entering the game until he was back on the sideline after halftime. Brady played the whole first half, and Garoppolo said he’s always prepared to enter a game.
“No heads up,” Garoppolo said. “You gotta be on your toes, and that’s part of being a backup quarterback.”
Brady didn’t exactly look excited to be coming out of the game, but Garoppolo said the All-Pro starter aided the rookie on the sideline.
“He’s helping me out — helping me with coverages and all that stuff,” Garoppolo said. “Just little things here and there. He’s a great teacher, and he’s helped me a bunch. He helped me a lot today.”
Sunday had the feeling of a fifth preseason game for the Patriots, with Garoppolo and a handful of other reserves receiving playing time. The Patriots also played like it was another exhibition game, so they didn’t do themselves many favors in gaining momentum before the playoffs.
Thumbnail photo via Elise Amendola/Associated Press
