Tom Brady's backup Jimmy Garoppolo is facing some real pressure in his second year. With Brady's future up in the air, the young quarterback could be under center for the New England Patriots on opening night.
Garoppolo was taken in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft as the 62nd overall pick. He spent last year on the sideline, studying Tom Brady while the team made its way to a Super Bowl title. After two preseason games, Garoppolo has shown that he can handle this team and has improved with each game.
In the Patriots' first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Garoppolo completed 20 of his 30 pass attempts, was sacked seven times and threw an interception. He had 159 yards on the evening with a completion percentage of 66.7.
The second preseason game was much kinder to the backup, as he threw for 269 yards, a touchdown, and was not sacked once. He completed 28 of his 30 pass attempts, spiking his percentage to 84.8. One thing about Garoppolo that is refreshing to see for Pats fans is that he is more of a runner than Brady, which means he can scramble out of a potential yard-loss situation, and turn it into a gain by using his legs.
His highlights from the Patriots second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints are below:
Garoppolo shows great accuracy and a quick release, along with a calm demeanor which is necessary at the quarterback position. While he is competing against mostly second and third string players, his growth as a quarterback should not be overlooked. Pats fans have been tuning in to these preseason games to see how the young quarterback will do under the spotlight, and he's been able to hold his own.
The Patriots next preseason game is against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on Friday, August 28th at 7:30 PM ET.