With the preseason games in the history books – including Brady starting the finale against the Giants – the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s four-game Deflategate suspension is underway and head coach Bill Belichick’s team opens the new season with someone other than No. 12 under center for the first time since 2001. Despite that and with quarterback Tom Brady suiting up on the other side, Big Blue was able to come away with a 17-9 victory.
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Panthers 18, Steelers 6: Running back Cameron Artis-Payne made a case for more playing time, rushing for 77 yards on 18 carries, and Graham Gano kicked six field goals for Carolina. While the opening night trip to Arizona is clearly a pretty big challenge for any team, never mind one with a quarterback making his first career start, the first month of games offers the Patriots plenty of opportunities for a good start to 2016.
Gabbert wasn’t expected to play in the San Diego finale because he had already played much more in the preseason than Kaepernick, who didn’t appear until San Francisco’s third exhibition game.
After almost two years of turmoil surrounding the sage known as Deflategate, the National Football League finally got its way and will force the Patriots to open the season without Tom Brady.
“I’m not gonna lie; it’s like one of your buddies going to jail”, Edelman said, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Brady later hit Chris Hogan for 16 yards and Julian Edelman for 11 in moving the Patriots from their 6 to the 44 before punting.
Giants: Free-agent defensive end Romeo Okwara sacked Brady in the first half. DE Kerry Wynn forced D.J. Foster to fumble in the second quarter and LB Mark Herzlich recovered. King led in receiving with 30 yards and two touchdowns while Roger Lewis had 20 yards. Quarterback Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr look to regroup for the NY Giants. In a trade this preseason the Patriots acquired Barkevious Mingo from the Browns and he’ll be the 3rd linebacker, joining Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower who are two of the best linebackers in the game.
Giants: King, who was on the practice squad past year, should have a roster spot locked up after catching four passes for 80 yards and his third TD of the preseason. “Right now the situation is thinking about the Arizona Cardinals and who’s gonna be out there to go out and play against these guys”.
“We can now turn the page on some tough decisions that we have to make over this weekend”. For now, we have to go out there and play the way that he motivates us, and the way he leads us to play.
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If the Cards were in need of help past year, it was in their pass rush, and they addressed that through traces and the draft.
