Again, it’s early. But when you have a quarter of the season to make ground on a team before its Hall of Fame quarterback returns, you can’t blow three leads, a lead in the final minute and fail to tie a game, then go three-and-out on your last three possessions while down one score to a team that went 5-11 past year. The Cardinals were able to drive down the field and set up for a 47-yard field goal.
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Congratulations, Jimmy Garoppolo, for winning your first National Football League start.
“[Hogan] had a great release”, Garoppolo explained, “and that makes it an easy throw for me”.
After a third quarter touchdown made it a one-score game, the Cardinals would take the lead on a phenomenal touchdown reception by Fitzgerald.
The Patriots converted 10 of 16 on third down, outgained the Cardinals 363-344 and survived fumbles by Garoppolo and LaGarrette Blount. He never panicked. His clock was set perfectly. The underneath routes were there for most of the night, and Edelman was the main beneficiary.
He sprinted toward the line of scrimmage, abruptly pulled up, and quickly released a floater 30 yards downfield, dropping it perfectly between the hands of Danny Amendola. Whatever, Bill Belichick, for outcoaching another opponent when your team needed it most.
It didn’t take long for Garoppolo to find success.
After going 74 yards on eight plays, the Patriots mounted another scoring drive on their second possession, this time relying on the running game and the dual threat of Blount and James White to generate yardage.
“He made some good plays”. On a third-and-3 later that drive, he managed to fit a bullet into a tiny window to complete a chain-moving pass to James White.
The game marked the return of Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu, who tore his right ACL last December.
Previous year against the Cincinnati Bengals, he connected from 32-yards out with six seconds remaining to push the Cardinals to a 34-31 win, and a few weeks later his 47-yard make with 1:23 remaining lifted Arizona to a 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Of course, the win was far from secured. Jimmy G ended the night with a final stat line of 24 completions on 33 attempts, 264 yards, and one touchdown.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. But for now, so far, it’s Garoppolo 1, Goodell 0.
But that wouldn’t have been right. Garoppolo launched a ideal touch pass and the Patriots had an early 7-0 lead.
Belichick has had some notable memories at University of Phoenix Stadium, which he seemed to be reminiscing about before Sunday night’s game in a moment on the field with his sons Steven and Brian.
And after his first career win, he said that part came easily. “You’re in the huddle, you’re all looking at each other, and it’s a good feeling”. “We just go out and keep competing”. Those expectations placed upon Garoppolo heading into Sunday’s game remain just as scattered for next week, and the week after that, and beyond.
The final score is the right one, but you’ll notice the quarter-to-quarter figures don’t add up. It’ll be a whole new game plan, a different set of circumstances, and a new series of challenges.
Just to have the undermanned Patriots in the game was a coaching masterpiece from him and his staff at a time when Belichick has served regular reminders that the team has a long way to go to become what he hopes it ultimately will be.
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It’s a lot more than anyone could have rightfully expected.
