Kyle: Garappolo is probably not ready to lead a team to the playoffs, but he is certainly ready to play in the NFL. He is surgically accurate (the quality I believe is most important for a QB- see Pennington, Chad and how he dissected the Pats D with precision passes). He can move and make plays with his feet, like all of the younger guns in the league. Will he make big mistakes? Yes, but he will learn from them. Will he turn the ball over more than BB likes and we are used to? Absolutely, especially at the beginning when the speed of the game might challenge him. They aren’t going 14-2 with Jimmy, but they aren’t going 14-2 with TB12 either.
Raj: Right now, I feel that Jimmy Garappolo isn’t exactly ready to fill a starting role. He has only played in preseason and though he did will there, the regular season is no joke. Although, we did say the same about Brady when Bledsoe went down and look what happened. In all honesty, anything can happen but I think as of now, it’s safe to say Jimmy G isn’t ready yet. No problem though Brady will stay healthy.
Rick: Considering that the Patriots went 11-5 with Matt Cassel in 2008, I think New England could win with Jimmy Garappolo at quarterback. However, I don’t think the Patriots can win a Super Bowl with him, which is what the expectation of the fanbase is. I think he could keep them in the playoff race. The key for this offense, whether its Brady or Garappolo is the run game. New England needs to find that balance on offense and it was a disappointment last week to not see Ridley or Vereen gain significant yards against a run defense in Oakland that was giving up on average 200 rushing yards per game. Brady is still the main guy at quarterback and it’s not even close. Garappolo wouldn’t be horrible, but the key to a Super Bowl still starts and ends with #12.
Derek: If Jimmy Garoppolo was the starting QB for the Patriots the past three weeks instead of Tom Brady, then I believe the Patriots would be 2-1, exactly as they are now. The Miami game would have still been a loss, and I believe that Jimmy G would have put enough points on the board to overcome the offensive output of 7 and 9 points that Minnesota and Oakland put up. Moving forward, however, this team is going to need the leadership and performance of Tom Brady when the schedule puts teams like Denver and San Diego on the slate. Could the Pats still beat out the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills without Brady at the helm? Probably. But I sure wouldn’t like this team’s chances in the post-season without #12 behind center.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
