Patriots coach Bill Belichick is faced with an unusual situation heading into the preseason opener. Over the past decade plus, the Pats had been set with Tom Brady at quarterback entering the games. The plan was simple: get Brady some work and get his backup more work. Now, with Brady staring at a four-game suspension to start the regular season, how much work does Jimmy Garoppolo get?
ODDS
It’s always difficult to handicap preseason games, particularly in Week 1, but given the Patriots homefield advantage, they’ve been pegged as a 3-point favorite with the total at 39.5.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
The Saints are faced with their own quarterback dilemma as we get ready to start the preseason. Drew Brees is 37 and showed signs of breaking down last season. He missed a game with a shoulder injury, the first time in six seasons he didn’t play in every contest. Brees overcame the injury and put up Brees-like numbers with 4,870 yards and 32 touchdown passes. The veteran knows the ropes and will likely get a series of action before grabbing some pine.
Expected backup Luke McCown and 2015 third-round pick Garrett Grayson will see the bulk of the reps in the opener. McCown turned 35 in July and has been a career backup. Grayson is heir apparent and will be groomed during the preseason.
Garoppolo is the guy for the first quarter of the regular season and needs to get some reps with the first team offense. Belichick hasn’t named a starter for the preseason opener, but expect Brady and rookie Jakoby Brisset to get their work in.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Saints’ coach Sean Payton isn’t overly concerned with his team’s offense. He knows with Brees running the show, the group will score points. The defense? That’s an entirely different story. New Orleans was historically bad last season on that side of the ball and the D was addressed in the offseason. Dennis Allen takes over for Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator and three of the first four picks in the 2016 draft were used on defensive players.
Allen’s new scheme will get a good workout in the preseason. While all signs are positive on the group from Saints camp, the real test comes during the games. The Saints nabbed a top prospect in tackle Sheldon Rankins from Louisville. They also selected safety Vonn Bell with their third pick. Bell is battling Jarius Byrd for the starting strong safety job. It’s time to see how the youngsters perform when the curtain is raised.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“We had, finally, some definition with Tom’s situation, so our priority now is to get Jimmy (Garoppolo) ready for the start of the season. That will be, obviously, a comprehensive process. Tom will return as the starting quarterback. But in the meantime, we have to prioritize the first part of our schedule and that will be to get Jimmy ready to go.” – Patriots coach Bill Belichick on his quarterback situation.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Position battles below No. 1 on the depth chart are rarely won in preseason games. Often times, work in the exhibition contests solidifies what the coaching staff has already determined in OTAs, mini-camp and training camp. One spot on the field that actually needs work against different competition is quarterback, and the Saints have a unique situation involving the backup to Brees.
McCown is the presumed No. 2 on the depth chart, given his experience and work in the role the past two seasons. However, the Saints drafted Grayson with the 75th overall pick in 2015 to compete for the role. Grayson did not see any regular season game action last year, but he did learn from two polished veterans. It’s now time for Grayson to play in a meaningful game and battle McCown for the backup quarterback job.
INJURIES
Keenan Lewis is expected to be one of the Saints starting corners once the season starts. However, he must first prove he’s healthy. Lewis sat out the start of camp while he continues to recover from January hip surgery. A knee injury and sports hernia limited Lewis to just six games in 2015. His absence certainly didn’t help the Saints secondary, which allowed 45 touchdown passes and finished last in pass defense in 2015.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Belichick usually doesn’t put a lot of stock in preseason games. This year will be a little different. With Brady set to miss the first quarter of the season, Garoppolo needs as many reps with the first team that he can get in order to be ready for the regular season. The third-year player threw just four pass attempts during last regular season and has a total of 31 with 20 completions over his two years. It’s important to get some work and a victory will only help Garoppolo’s confidence moving forward to the regular season.
NFL Odds: New England 23, New Orleans 18
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