Mallett Or Garoppolo: Who Backs Up Tom Brady In Preseason Game No. 2?
BOSTON (CBS) - There was no Tom Brady last night, so New England Patriots fans got an extra look at backup quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Jimmy Garoppolo in the preseason opener.
One played well, the other did not.
Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak opened their show Friday morning reacting and analyzing the team's first game with Washington.
The main takeaway from the game was the play of Ryan Mallett and what he did and did not do specifically. There were some plays that stuck out more than others to Gresh.
"It seemed like the third down play in the first half kind of threw him off a little bit. Getting sacked on second down and then you are in third-and-15, you know to be fair to the guy, there aren't many that are going to convert that on a consistent basis. And then they were actually able to overcome a third down penalty and keep the drive going into the second quarter. But overall, Mallett was not great."
It was a sloppy game in all three phases -- offense, defense and special teams -- but of course the quarterbacks get the most attention, and for good reason.
The Patriots rarely carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and some feel like Ryan Mallett is being showcased this preseason for a trade.
So all eyes are on Mallett and Jimmy G in preseason game no. 2 next Friday at home against the Eagles, and Zo feels like a change will come as far as who backs up Tom Brady in that contest.
"Brady is going to play next week," said Zolak. "And you know what, I would be shocked if we see Mallett as second quarterback next week. I think Garoppolo -- bottom line is that he got in there and moved the team. He looked decisive, he looked quick with his decision-making, and he hit that third step and the ball was out."
Now, it was only one game. It's still extremely early in the preseason and many things are subject to change. But what we know for sure is that Jimmy Garoppolo played better than Ryan Mallett last night. No question about it.
Listen below for their full assessment:
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