I don’t know that the wheels will fall off New England’s offense when Tom Brady is sitting out. I thought Jimmy Garoppolo looked pretty good in the preseason last year. I recall him connecting on a lot of deep balls with Brian Tyms. He’s not afraid to send it deep.
This is kind of the opposite of Brady. Everyone likes to talk about vertical passing games, but he’s the master of the horizontal offense, spreading out defenses with short passes.
In the past five years, 65 quarterbacks have attempted at least 50 passes in a preason. Garoppolo is one of the few who’s averaged over 13 yards per completion. He also threw 5 TDs versus only 1 interception in August last year. Now he’s been around for a year, and they’ll have the whole summer to coach him up.
I think he’ll be fine.
PRESEASON: YARDS PER COMPLETION | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Att | Com | Yards | Pct | YPC | TD | Int |
2014 | Blake Bortles, Jac. | 51 | 32 | 521 | 62.7% | 16.3 | 2 | 0 |
2014 | T.J. Yates, Atl. | 53 | 28 | 438 | 52.8% | 15.6 | 2 | 2 |
2014 | Zach Mettenberger, Tenn. | 68 | 47 | 659 | 69.1% | 14.0 | 2 | 2 |
2012 | Nick Foles, Phil. | 63 | 40 | 553 | 63.5% | 13.8 | 6 | 2 |
2010 | Charlie Whitehurst, Sea. | 90 | 46 | 635 | 51.1% | 13.8 | 4 | 4 |
2014 | Austin Davis, St.L. | 63 | 39 | 534 | 61.9% | 13.7 | 4 | 1 |
2011 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 50 | 28 | 379 | 56.0% | 13.5 | 3 | 1 |
2014 | Jimmy Garoppolo, N.E. | 79 | 46 | 618 | 58.2% | 13.4 | 5 | 1 |
2012 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 63 | 40 | 536 | 63.5% | 13.4 | 5 | 1 |
2013 | Eli Manning, NYG | 51 | 24 | 321 | 47.1% | 13.4 | 2 | 1 |
2014 | Ryan Nassib, NYG | 74 | 44 | 588 | 59.5% | 13.4 | 5 | 0 |
2014 | Kellen Clemens, S.D. | 52 | 33 | 441 | 63.5% | 13.4 | 3 | 1 |
2012 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 51 | 30 | 398 | 58.8% | 13.3 | 5 | 0 |
2011 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 54 | 31 | 411 | 57.4% | 13.3 | 5 | 2 |
2010 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 50 | 37 | 476 | 74.0% | 12.9 | 5 | 1 |
2010 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 51 | 31 | 396 | 60.8% | 12.8 | 3 | 2 |
2012 | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 66 | 41 | 522 | 62.1% | 12.7 | 3 | 2 |
2011 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 57 | 32 | 403 | 56.1% | 12.6 | 2 | 1 |
2014 | Scott Tolzien, G.B. | 56 | 38 | 477 | 67.9% | 12.6 | 3 | 0 |
2011 | Cam Newton, Car. | 57 | 24 | 300 | 42.1% | 12.5 | 1 | 0 |
2014 | Matt McGloin, Oak. | 69 | 38 | 471 | 55.1% | 12.4 | 4 | 1 |
2012 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 60 | 45 | 549 | 75.0% | 12.2 | 3 | 1 |
2011 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 67 | 35 | 426 | 52.2% | 12.2 | 3 | 1 |
2014 | Matt Barkley, Phil. | 65 | 41 | 495 | 63.1% | 12.1 | 3 | 3 |
2011 | Rex Grossman, Wash. | 53 | 34 | 407 | 64.2% | 12.0 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | Eli Manning, NYG | 55 | 27 | 314 | 49.1% | 11.6 | 0 | 2 |
2010 | Kevin Kolb, Phil. | 53 | 28 | 324 | 52.8% | 11.6 | 0 | 1 |
2013 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 55 | 27 | 310 | 49.1% | 11.5 | 1 | 1 |
2010 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 53 | 41 | 470 | 77.4% | 11.5 | 6 | 0 |
2014 | Brandon Weeden, Dall. | 57 | 34 | 388 | 59.6% | 11.4 | 2 | 2 |
2013 | Brandon Weeden, Clev. | 50 | 30 | 334 | 60.0% | 11.1 | 3 | 0 |
2013 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 56 | 34 | 377 | 60.7% | 11.1 | 3 | 0 |
2010 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 62 | 38 | 421 | 61.3% | 11.1 | 3 | 1 |
2014 | Ryan Griffin, N.O. | 77 | 48 | 530 | 62.3% | 11.0 | 3 | 1 |
2010 | Chad Henne, Mia. | 58 | 32 | 346 | 55.2% | 10.8 | 2 | 1 |
2013 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 54 | 38 | 410 | 70.4% | 10.8 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | Colin Kaepernick, S.F. | 50 | 24 | 257 | 48.0% | 10.7 | 0 | 5 |
2014 | Kirk Cousins, Wash. | 54 | 35 | 370 | 64.8% | 10.6 | 4 | 1 |
2010 | Kyle Orton, Den. | 57 | 38 | 397 | 66.7% | 10.4 | 4 | 2 |
2011 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 70 | 35 | 365 | 50.0% | 10.4 | 1 | 1 |
2014 | Seth Lobato, Mia. | 53 | 26 | 271 | 49.1% | 10.4 | 1 | 1 |
2010 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 50 | 32 | 331 | 64.0% | 10.3 | 2 | 0 |
2014 | EJ Manuel, Buff. | 81 | 50 | 516 | 61.7% | 10.3 | 1 | 2 |
2014 | Kellen Moore, Det. | 51 | 35 | 361 | 68.6% | 10.3 | 3 | 0 |
2010 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 55 | 33 | 338 | 60.0% | 10.2 | 3 | 0 |
2012 | Jake Locker, Tenn. | 60 | 31 | 316 | 51.7% | 10.2 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | Matt Cassel, K.C. | 59 | 38 | 386 | 64.4% | 10.2 | 2 | 1 |
2010 | Derek Anderson, Ariz. | 56 | 33 | 334 | 58.9% | 10.1 | 2 | 2 |
2012 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 78 | 41 | 414 | 52.6% | 10.1 | 1 | 1 |
2012 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 60 | 43 | 433 | 71.7% | 10.1 | 3 | 1 |
2010 | Matt Moore, Car. | 57 | 28 | 279 | 49.1% | 10.0 | 0 | 1 |
2010 | Carson Palmer, Cin. | 59 | 42 | 415 | 71.2% | 9.9 | 2 | 2 |
2014 | Johnny Manziel, Clev. | 59 | 30 | 296 | 50.8% | 9.9 | 2 | 0 |
2012 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 59 | 36 | 355 | 61.0% | 9.9 | 3 | 0 |
2014 | Dan Orlovsky, Det. | 57 | 36 | 355 | 63.2% | 9.9 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | Tyrod Taylor, Balt. | 55 | 35 | 345 | 63.6% | 9.9 | 3 | 2 |
2014 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 54 | 43 | 423 | 79.6% | 9.8 | 3 | 1 |
2012 | Carson Palmer, Oak. | 56 | 33 | 321 | 58.9% | 9.7 | 0 | 4 |
2011 | Charlie Whitehurst, Sea. | 62 | 42 | 405 | 67.7% | 9.6 | 1 | 0 |
2010 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 52 | 37 | 353 | 71.2% | 9.5 | 3 | 2 |
2012 | Eli Manning, NYG | 51 | 32 | 299 | 62.7% | 9.3 | 1 | 1 |
2014 | Alex Smith, K.C. | 51 | 31 | 286 | 60.8% | 9.2 | 0 | 2 |
2011 | Andy Dalton, Cin. | 60 | 36 | 328 | 60.0% | 9.1 | 1 | 3 |
2011 | Tarvaris Jackson, Sea. | 55 | 32 | 269 | 58.2% | 8.4 | 1 | 2 |
2010 | Matt Cassel, K.C. | 59 | 38 | 293 | 64.4% | 7.7 | 3 | 2 |
—Ian Allan