Garoppolo finishes strong
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has a habit of performing best when the stakes are at their highest, at least on a relative scale.
Garoppolo completed 10 of his final 11 passes over two periods of hurry-up offense yesterday when the Patriots and Houston Texans conducted their first joint practice at the Greenbrier. It was a heck of a way for Garoppolo to rebound from a woeful 2-of-10 start to practice.
And again, even with just a snapshot of practice, it fit with the pattern of Garoppolo’s career. He might not always be on, but he tends to play well under pressure.
As such, Garoppolo maintained his momentum from Thursday’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he completed 22-of-28 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
The fourth-year backup was close to finishing in the tank yesterday, too. His first try at the two-minute drill opened with a sack and an incompletion to tight end Dwayne Allen on second down. But Garoppolo fired a dart to wide receiver Danny Amendola on third down and later added strikes to fellow receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Devin Lucien and running back Rex Burkhead to set up a field goal and complete the objective of the period.
Garoppolo closed the practice by going 6-of-6 with a touchdown to Mitchell on their fourth connection of the day. It was a significant way to close down the most competitive practice of training camp because Garoppolo’s reps are numbered before Tom Brady takes over the starting quarterback job on a full-time basis.
“It’s great,” Garoppolo said of the competition with the Texans. “You can really gauge where our team is . ... They’re talented across the board defensively, so it’s a good test for us.”
Gilmore cornered
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore didn’t participate in team drills during practice, so his activity today will be monitored. There weren’t any obvious signs of an injury, but Gilmore worked during the early positional portion before sticking to the sideline for the remainder of the day.
After practice, Gilmore hung around the field to catch up with some old friends on the Texans, so it’s noteworthy that he wasn’t immediately summoned to the training room. Whatever the case, the Patriots don’t want to take any risks with Gilmore, who has been among the defensive stars in camp after signing a fiveyear, $65 million contract this offseason.
Without Gilmore, Eric Rowe started at cornerback alongside Malcolm Butler, and Jonathan Jones worked as the third corner with the starters. Rowe practiced for the first time after missing a week.
Coach Wes
The connection between the Patriots and Texans grew stronger over the offseason when the AFC South champions added Wes Welker to the coaching staff. The former receiver doesn’t have the glamorous title or responsibilities yet, but he is off to a good start with Bill O’Brien’s group.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman has been among the countless players who have learned from Welker over the years, so he was proud to see Welker get this opportunity.
“Wes is such a smart, intelligent football player,” Edelman said of the Pats’ career receptions leader (672). “He’s a grinder, meaning he earned everything he got. He didn’t start on third (base). He had to have a long journey to get to being, ultimately, a revolutionary player who basically created a position.”
Lil’ Gronk
Fullback Glenn Gronkowski drew one of the largest ovations of the exhibition opener last week against the Jaguars when he caught a 10-yard pass in the first quarter. It’s unclear if the Gronkowskis monopolized the noise, but tight end Rob Gronkowski was certainly happy to see his little brother enjoy some success.
“It’s fun watching my brother go out there,” Rob Gronkowski said. “The game the other night, it was a blast watching him make some plays.
“It’s awesome.”