Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim didn’t mince his words when discussing his team’s performance in their 23-21 loss to a back-up-quarterback-led New England Patriots on Sunday night.
Advertisement
According to ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index, the Patriots were expected to win 9.8 games, “about 0.4 fewer games than if Brady was available from the start” per ESPN’s Sharon Katz.
“We should have won the game”, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. “It’s such a team sport, and Jimmy did everything that he was asked to, and it was a great way to start the season for our team”.
On his first drive he marched the Patriots down field in about four minutes and connected with Chris Hogan for a 37-yard, Brady-like touchdown pass.
He managed the shrewd game plan offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and coach Bill Belichick crafted: The Patriots alternated between spreading the field in three-receiver sets and power football in two-tight-end formations.
Video on the Patriots’ official website shows Garoppolo smiling as he received the ball, while calling the team together for the traditional team breakdown after victories.
On WEEI, Garoppolo claimed he didn’t know that Brady’s posters at Gillette Stadium had been taken down as Sunday night’s game began.
He did make enough plays with his legs and accurate arm to make Patriots fans ponder whether things will be so bleak after Brady eventually retires and departs from New England.
“It was still an enjoyable Sunday nonetheless. on the couch, seeing games from a different perspective”, he said. Then you’ll look at it again and say “Wow, that guy looks a lot like Tom Brady!”. “Pretty wonderful. There’s a lot to learn every week in the NFL”.
“Brady was the game’s Lin-Manuel but he’s gone, wow, and though it may upset Gisele, look who’s starting now”, a woman in the clip sings.
“It’s a tough environment to play in”, Brady said. They rebuilt a team that’s been emphasizing offense throughout the Brady years to now lean more heavily on the defense, and stalled out the Arizona offense, one of the league’s most potent. Their receivers played very well, they were open and made huge plays. Nearly no one (3.2 percent) started backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in their fantasy league and fewer still (0.1 percent) picked the team in their Yahoo survivor pool.
“We came out too slow”, Palmer said, “and obviously there when you have to win it with a late field goal, you’re obviously behind the 8-ball”.
Advertisement
“He’s incredible. All game he went out there and made the plays he was supposed to make”. “I get nervous before every game”. “I thought it was bad initially but just gutted it out and was able to finish the game”. That’s work out 4-5 times a week, stay sharp throwing the ball. “We have a lot of areas that we can do that in moving forward, so that’s what we’re going to practice hard this week to try to do”.
