What does Jimmy Garoppolo's injury mean for the Jets?
Manish Mehta
MANISH MEHTA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, September 19, 2016, 9:24 AM
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Bill Belichick had months to prepare Jimmy Garoppolo to take over for Tom Brady but time isn’t on his side with Jacoby Brissett.
Bill Belichick had months to prepare Jimmy Garoppolo to take over for Tom Brady but time isn’t on his side with Jacoby Brissett. (JIM ROGASH/GETTY IMAGES)
Bill Belichick's giant brain has been the envy of the NFL for the better part of two decades. People have fawned over his genius, bowed to his greatness and kissed his butt more times than I care to remember, but not even the greatest football mind of the generation will be able to wiggle out of this jam.
The Patriots face a new reality now that Jimmy Garoppolo wrecked his shoulder on Sunday: The Evil Empire will be looking up at the Jets in the AFC East standings when Tom Brady returns.
Belichick seemed to have done it again by uncovering this new pretty boy quarterback to (temporarily?) replace his old pretty boy quarterback. Garoppolo showed poise in a Week 1 road win in Arizona and was flammable on Sunday against Miami before leaving the game for good with a sprained AC joint that will keep him out for the Patriots' Thursday night game against the Texans (and likely beyond).
It's hard to shed a tear for such a successful (and sometimes rule-breaking) outfit, but I feel slight sympathy for Garoppolo, who appears to be a good guy making the most of a golden opportunity. The young quarterback went 18-for-27 for 234 yards and three touchdowns in a quarter and a half before going down for the count.
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The fine folks that make up Patriot Nation will now convince themselves that osmosis will help rookie Jacoby Brissett win the next two games against the Texans and Bills before Brady returns from exile. Spoiler alert: He won't. (More on that later).
Ryan Fitzpatrick has the pieces around him to push the Jets to the top of the AFC East heap.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has the pieces around him to push the Jets to the top of the AFC East heap. (BRETT CARLSEN/GETTY IMAGES)
To make matters worse for the New England crazies, the Jets will be all alone atop the division upon Brady's return, which is enough to make them reach back for some lame and predictable jokes from the past. Yes, people. We know that the Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since man first stepped on the moon. And yes, we know that Brady has four rings, so you don't have to tweet me photos of the man wearing his championship jewelry.
The Jets' next two games don't look as daunting as they did before the season. They will travel to Kansas City this week to face a team that hardly looks unbeatable. The Chiefs needed an epic Chargers collapse to win their opener before getting roughed up by the Texans on Sunday.
Raise your hand if you're scared of the Alex Smith-led short-passing "attack."
Running back Jamaal Charles is expected to make his season debut, which would have been frightening if it were 2010 or 2012. It's neither of those years the last time I checked.
Kiko Alonso crushes Jimmy Garoppolo, who is now out with a shoulder injury.
Kiko Alonso crushes Jimmy Garoppolo, who is now out with a shoulder injury. (STEW MILNE/AP)
Todd Bowles' team will host the Seahawks, who have scored a grand total of one touchdown in 22 possessions and have yet to force a turnover this season, in Week 4.
Spoiler alert: The Jets are winning that game too.
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So, they'll be 3-1 when Brady returns from his Deflategate punishment.
Never say never with the Patriots — except for now. Belichick faces an impossible mission with Brissett in the next two games. The Hoodie Fan Club needs to think about this logically. Sure, Belichick has had success with Brady's understudies in the past, but those guys needed to time to learn and grow.
Matt Forte has been a workhorse so far for the Jets with 52 attempts through two games.
Matt Forte has been a workhorse so far for the Jets with 52 attempts through two games. (KEVIN HOFFMAN/USA TODAY SPORTS)
Matt Cassel, who went 10-5 as a starter when Brady shredded his knee in the 2008 season opener, had a three-year apprenticeship before getting thrown into the fire. Garoppolo, who completed 70 percent of his passes with a 117.2 QB rating in his first two starts, sat for two years.
Brissett has been a NFL player for FIVE MONTHS. He'll have THREE DAYS to prepare for his first start. Belichick is brilliant, but let's be realistic. He's not going to climb this mountain.
Brissett comes with great references though. Bill Parcells, who watched the quarterback in high school in Florida, praised Brissett after the Patriots took him in the third round.
"I have a very high regard for this young man," Parcells told the Boston Herald. "He's an awesome kid. He's very bright. He has zero personal issues. He's a very dedicated, committed guy and I think he's going to the absolute perfect place for him. They've got a great coach, a great organization, and they've got a great role model playing that he'll be able to observe and learn from. It just doesn't get any better than that. Because of what I think he has, his career is going to develop well."
Jacoby Brissett has three days to get ready for the Texans.
Jacoby Brissett has three days to get ready for the Texans. (JIM ROGASH/GETTY IMAGES)
Parcells might very well be right, but it's unrealistic to expect Brissett, who went 6 for 9 for 92 yards in the Patriots' 31-24 white knuckler over the Dolphins Sunday, to win right now. He'll face the Texans, who roughed up Alex Smith (four sacks, nine QB hits), in a few days before Rex Ryan's Bills come to town. Say what you want about Ryan, but he owns rookie quarterbacks. Look it up.
"Jacoby is really a calm individual," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said on WEEI radio on Monday morning. "He's been that way since we brought him in for his interview. We tried to put him under pressure when we first brought him in here before the draft and he didn't flinch then. He's a guy that is very difficult to fluster."
Let's see if that changes when J.J. Watt is bearing down on him.
Belichick won't be able to fix this problem. He'll be chasing the team that he loves to hate when Brady comes back.
