Jimmy Garoppolo Proves He Has Future As NFL Starting QB In Patriots’ Win

GLENDALE, Ariz. — He’s a couple inches shorter, a decade and a half younger, and a few ticks faster (with the same chiseled good looks), but New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played quite a bit like Tom Brady on Sunday night in his first NFL start.

Garoppolo studied Brady as a kid and has played under him for two years. And Garoppolo, like Brady has, thrived on short passes, accuracy and quality decisions in the Patriots’ 23-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Garoppolo went 24-of-33 passing for 264 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He averaged 8 yards per attempt even if it seemed like every pass he threw traveled just 5 yards in the air at University of Phoenix Stadium.

And he did it with the difficulty level notched up almost impossibly high.

Garoppolo didn’t have the Patriots’ starting running back, tight end, left or right tackle and right guard at his disposal. His opponent, the Cardinals, made the NFC Championship Game in 2015 and was expected to be even better in 2016. Garoppolo even had to lead the Patriots on a game-winning, fourth-quarter drive.