We assumed that Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would be under center for New England against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were thrown off their timing and they missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. Tom Brady completed 16 of 26 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown against one interception while Jacoby Brissett added 152 yards in 13-for-21-passes.
Advertisement
The play put the ball on the Patriots’ 12-yard line, setting up Larry Fitzgerald’s 100 career touchdown grab that came with a high degree of difficulty in itself.
Making his first career National Football League start, Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked sharper under center than did 14-year National Football League veteran Carson Palmer on Sunday.
With Tom Brady away on a four-game sabbatical, it was time for the third-year understudy to put his teachings to the test.
Garoppolo was able to buy himself some time with his feet on occasion, and was 24-of-33 for 264 yards and a touchdown, on a night without star tight end Rob Gronkowski.
The miss came after Garoppolo, in his first National Football League start, directed the Patriots from their own 19 to the Arizona 15 to set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 23-yard field goal for what proved to be the victor with 3:44 to play.
Arizona connected on the extra point attempt to take a 21-20 lead- their first lead of the night.
Larry Fitzgerald heard the report about this being his last season and quickly swatted it down. Garoppolo settled down nearly immediately, though, completing each of his next four passes for 75 yards, which included a 37-yarder to Hogan down the left sideline for a touchdown.
Best post-sack celebration: After making a sack in the second quarter that pushed the Cardinals out of field goal range, Pats defensive end Chris Long screamed like a wild man so much that his mouthguard came out and he had to stop and pick it up.
The stingy Cardinals defense stood as the toughest New England would face before Brady can return Week 5, and odds were against Garoppolo.
Up 10-7 at the break, the Patriots took the second-half kickoff and went 70 yards in nine plays.
On their second possession, the Patriots drove from their 8 to the Arizona 29 and Gostkowski’s 47-yard field goal made it 10-0.
Markus Golden strip-sacked Garoppolo and Jones, the former Patriot, recovered the fumble.
Advertisement
Palmer threw 2 yards to Fitzgerald to cut the lead to 10-7 with 6:20 left in the first half.
