Massarotti: We Still Have No Idea What Garoppolo Is Yet
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the never-ending tug-o-war between Tom Brady and the NFL, one can only imagine NFL commissioner Roger Goodell watching the proceedings at Gillette Stadium last night, a slight, wry smile coming over the face of the slippery commissioner.
The message: You sure you want four games of this, Patriots fans?
Yes, yes, yes… Jimmy Garoppolo was playing before a makeshift offensive line, to be sure, not to mention a cast of skill players devoid of Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, and LeGarrette Blount. And as for that line? No Sebastian Vollmer, no Nate Solder, no Bryan Stork.
No chance.
Just the same, it was hard not to connect the dots. When Garoppolo did have the time to throw last night during the Patriots' 22-11 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium, he was off-target… or late… or both. The final numbers included 20 completions in 30 attempts for 159 yards (a measly 5.3 yards per attempt) and zero touchdowns with one interception, a measly rating of 65.8. He was sacked seven – count `em, seven – times.
"I'm taking it day by day," Garoppolo told reporters after the game. "I'm going into it pretty much the same way I would, whether this was going on or not. Whether you're the backup, starter, third-string, whatever it may be, you have to have the mindset that you're the starter. In training camp there's a lot of repetition, a lot of guys mixing and matching, so you have to be able to play with multiple guys."
Whether this was going on or not.
Hmmm … what could he possibly be talking about?
The one-day reprieve is over, Patriots fans. The Patriots are off the game field for eight more days before next weekend's affair with the New Orleans Saints, which means the focus now goes back into the courtroom. Brady and Goodell remain at a standstill in the never-ending saga of "Deflategate," with the next settlement conference scheduled for Wednesday.
Brady is not obligated to attend that session, but his lawyers are almost certainly advising him to be there. Which means more time away from the team. Which means more Garoppolo. Which means more… what?
If you can get beyond the matter of who is right and who is wrong – and even then we may not have an answer in "Deflategate" – here is what should concern you as a Patriots fan: exactly how many games is Brady going to miss? New England's first four opponents are Pittsburgh, at Buffalo, Jacksonville, at Dallas. In three of those affairs, the gap between Brady and Garoppolo might very well be the difference between winning and losing, and we all know that a game or two can make all the difference in the NFL when it comes time to determine home field advantage and first-round byes.
The division? Please. Forget the division. The Patriots haven't been concerned with such trivial things for nearing two decades now.
Here's the point: we still don't know what Garoppolo is yet. We may not know until the regular season. And while it is almost certain that Garoppolo is not nearly as overmatched as he looked Thursday night – his best receiver may have been Josh Boyce, his best lineman Tre Jackson or Shaq Mason – the Patriots really haven't started to pay any price yet, either in terms of draft collateral (in 2016) or in games this season.
In a few weeks, that could change dramatically.
Which brings us back to the same place.
Cut a deal, Tom.
Please cut a deal.
Tony Massarotti co-hosts the Felger and Massarotti Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub weekdays from 2-6 p.m. Follow him on Twitter @TonyMassarotti. You can read more from Tony by clicking here.