From nesn.comNE 6, WAS 23 Final Jimmy Garoppolo, Malcolm Butler Among Patriots Stars Of Preseason Opener Jimmy Garoppolo won over some New England Patriots fans in his preseason debut. The rookie quarterback was one of the lone bright moments for the Patriots in Thursday night’s 23-6 loss to the Washington Redskins. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown in the second half after “starting” quarterback Ryan Mallett struggled in the first two quarters. Garoppolo played much better in his first NFL game than he has throughout organized team activities, minicamp and training camp. Garoppolo has struggled in practice, but really turned it on, especially on his deep passes, showing nice touch on completions to third-year pro Brian Tyms. Garoppolo also showed an ability make plays with his feet, both by scrambling and with his pocket presence, avoiding pressure. It will be interesting to see if Garoppolo can keep this up throughout the preseason. If he continues to shine in games, then he could steal the backup job from Mallett, who was supposed to be auditioning for NFL teams against the Redskins. Check out the rest of the Patriots’ stars from the first game of the preseason: Another article on his 1st preseason game: http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports/newengland/football/patriots/2014/08/08/jimmy-garoppolo-feels-he-did-alright-in-his-first-nfl-game/
