Let the speculation begin. While unlikely, it is hard to not at least attempt to discuss the battle between Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. The New England Patriots are Brady's team. That is not changing, but his struggles this season cannot be ignored. When the rookie quarterback stepped in for garbage minutes in the fourth quarter and scored a touchdown with the same offense that Brady failed to do so with for three other quarters, questions arise.
The Patriots made upgrades in the offseason regarding their wide receivers, but struggles at the offensive line are now plaguing the team. After trading away Logan Mankins for tight end Tim Wright, it appeared the Patriots line simply fell apart. Pair that with quarterback inaccuracies and wide receiver drops and the Patriots have a problem.
Garoppolo ended up being one of the few bright spots of the game. He went 6 of 7 in passing for 70 yards. Brady went 14 of 23 for 159 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The rookie looked poised for his first NFL game, standing tall in the pocket and delivering the ball with confidence. While he certainly is not ready to be a full-time starter, he is not a bad backup plan. The question is whether or not the Patriots need to fall to their backup plan. Brady is putting together a career-low 79.4 passer rating while averaging just 5.8 yards per play. Ben Voilin of the Boston Globe writes that everything should be on the table when it comes to the offense.
"Everything should be on the table now with Brady and the Patriots," Volin writes, "if [coach Bill] Belichick truly wants to do what's best for the team, as he constantly stresses."
Meanwhile, the wide receiver position and the ground game also need tweaking. Danny Amendola did not even manage to get his name in the boxscore. Brandon LaFell led the group with 119 yards off six catches while Julian Edelman struggled to make an impact with just 23 yards receiving. The run game was even worse. Stevan Ridley managed just 28 yards off five carries. Some of this is a result from the offensive line, while some is just a result of plays not being made.
Brady will start for New England in Week 5. There is no doubt that will be happening. Fantasy owners should not even think about adjusting to that move. However, Garoppolo will be ready to play. New England plays Cincinnati at home next week, facing one of the top defenses in the NFL. If Brady struggles once again, Garoppolo will not be thrown in for garbage minutes a second time. He will get a more serious look.
