The Patriots have no choice but start Jimmy Garoppolo the first four games of the season.
But while it’s far too small of a sample size to reach a reliable conclusion, his early work might have suggested the Patriots could survive a month without quarterback Tom Brady without everything falling all to pot.
Garoppolo’s debut as starter was a decidedly acceptable affair. He made some nice throws, but had a few questionable decisions as well while leading the Patriots to a 17-16 lead at halftime.
Garoppolo was 11-of-18 for 168 yards passing, and he did it without his top two wide receivers and tight end Rob Gronkowski.
As much as anything, the fact he stood in the pocket and took a few shots from the Saints was a positive. On one, he showed some patience and delivered a screen pass to James White which went 56 yards and set up a LeGarrette Blount touchdown run.
He also showed some mobility at times, which is something they can’t always say about Brady. It was a solid start on the whole.
The downside for the Patriots was what appeared to be a serious injury to rookie wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell. After his fourth catch of the night, his left elbow went a direction elbows aren’t supposed to go, and he went straight to the locker room. It was a disappointing end to a productive evening for Mitchell, their fourth-round pick from Georgia.