Tag Archives: Jimmy Garoppolo

Brady Theory’s Debunked With Facts-Part 1

Tom Brady theory’s or “myths” claiming he’s not a great QB make me laugh, so I’ve compiled the first edition of Tom vs Truth. I am a fan, yet I am using facts to end these ridiculous claims.

Once upon a time Tom Brady was America’s golden child, beating the greatest show on turf put him on the map. Fast forward to the present day and many things have changed. Six Super Bowl wins, multiple MVPs and a supermodel wife has had the country turned against the GOAT. Let’s start with these theory’s about TB12.

“Tom Is A Product of the Patriots System”

Haters across the country can’t stop calling Brady a system QB. While every team has a system, and 3/4s of the teams using the same style. Why aren’t they playing in February? The answer is Tom Brady. We know his skill, so let’s look deeper. Brady has had numerous Offensive Coordinators. In the beginning it was Charlie Weiss. Charlie’s offenses in NY and NE before Tom Brady were ranked 12th, 5th, 19th and 25th. Compare those numbers with a very green, backup QB in Tom Brady. Charlie’s 4 years with Tom his offenses ranked 6th, 10th, 12th and 4th. This is what I call the Brady difference. Weiss left after 4 years with Brady to coach Notre Dame, ending with a record of 41-49.

Josh McDaniels makes Tom Brady Great. Well no, not at all. He has had success with Tom just like Weiss, but without Brady his numbers declined drastically. Working with Brady, Josh McDaniels offenses have been incredible. The worst those two finished was 10th in points and 11th in yards. Every other season with Brady, New England’s Offense was ranked top 3 in points, with one top 5 finish. McDaniels in St.Louis and Denver running the same system, ranked 20th, 19th and dead last at 32nd. (Brady Difference.)

Bill O’Brien in 2011 must’ve been the reason Brady and the offense was 3rd in points scored right? I don’t think so, since leaving the Pats O’Brien’s offenses in points scored rank 14th, 21st, 28th, 17th and 11th. Quite the drop off without Brady under Center. So if you say “System QB”, I say it’s the Brady difference.

Well What About Bill Belichick? “He makes Tom Brady”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands alone as the greatest HC, he must be why Brady’s so great

First let me say that while Bill is the best coach of all time, that didn’t really start until Brady came into the mix. In Cleveland Bill went 35-55, along with 5-11 his first year in NE without Tom. There’s that Tom Brady difference again.

2008 Same Team No Brady

But Matt Cassel went 11-5 when Brady was hurt

This argument often made by haters really grinds my gears: “If Brady is so good then how did Matt Cassel go 11-5?”

Well let’s break it down. The 2007 and 2008 teams had the same roster minus Donte Stallworth on offense. In 2007 Tom Brady and his offense set records for TDs, Rec TDs and points scored. The team went 18-0 only to lose the SB just missing the perfect season. The 2007 offense with Tom had a 315 point differential, compared to Cassel’s team dropping 214 points all the way down to a 101 point differential. So the same team, with different QBs went from the best offense ever, to average and missing the playoffs.

2007 Brady- 4,806 yards, 50 TD/8 INTs with a 117 Passer rating along with MVP honors.

2008 Cassel- 3,693 yards, 21 TD/11 INTs with an 89 passer rating with the same offense. (Brady Difference)

In 2010 Matt Cassel made the playoffs and the Pro Bowl with KC. He was no stiff, throwing 27 TDs to just 7 INTs, which was the second best ratio in the league that year. Who could’ve been number 1 I wonder? Tom Brady of course, as he won the only unanimous MVP in league history. Sorry to say again but the Brady Difference is quite obvious in this popular theory among haters.

“Tom Isn’t Good without a Great Defense”

The Patriots had a very good defense in Tom’s early years, and certainly was a huge factor in the first 3 Super Bowls. People say Brady was carried by his defenses, which is not the case. From 2001-2004, with Brady coming in as a backup, he put together 10 4th quarter comebacks and 15 game winning drives. The numbers seem to show he did his part and then some, but that’s not what the haters want you to think.

Brady led the NFL in TD passes in 2002, so it’s not a reach at all to say the Patriots may have not won those Super Bowls without Tom Brady. For example, in Super Bowl 38 the Pats defense gave up 29 points to the Panthers. A young QB named Tom Brady going up against a fierce defense threw for 354 yards, 3 TDs and his second clutch SB game winning drive. Without Brady things could’ve been a lot different that day.

Jumping ahead to Patriots Defenses that weren’t as talented. The four year stretch from 2010-2013, New England’s defense was never better than 25th in total yards allowed. But again Brady in 2010 won MVP and got the #1 seed. 2011 the Pats were back in the Super Bowl despite being 31st in yards against, and that’s due to Tom Brady. In 2012 and 2013, Brady and the Pats went back to the AFC Championship but lost. Some people think going as far as possible in sports and losing is worse than not making the championship game at all. Ridiculous.

In 2017 the defense was ranked 29th. Brady and the offense once again were back in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick shocked Pats nation by benching Malcolm Butler. The defense got shredded by a backup QB, giving up 41 points. Even in defeat Brady put up historic numbers, throwing for 505 yards with 3 TDs with no INTs.

My conclusion on this theory about his Defenses is that Brady always has done his part to win games and make it to the AFC Championship or Super Bowl. I don’t see him being carried by anything, like the haters do. Another interesting stat: In 17 seasons the Pats Defense was statistically better than the offense only 3 times. In 9 of those 17 seasons with Brady as the starter, the defense was ranked 20th or worse in yards allowed. Defensive “myth” shut down with facts.

“Joe Montana Never Lost in the Super Bowl”

The debate over Montana and Brady has many factors. Joe Montana was the Greatest ever in my eyes, up until Brady’s comeback in Super Bowl 49 against the Seahawks. Since Brady tied Montana with 4 Super Bowl wins, he has gone to 3 straight Super Bowls and won 2. The real crime here is the loss to the eagles. Brady had the best Super Bowl performance of all time.

Some people say Brady can’t be better than Montana because Joe cool never lost in his 4 chances. The fact of the matter is that every athlete would tell you getting to the Championship and losing is better than not making it there at all. As we all know, Brady’s been to 9 Super Bowls with 6 wins. Let’s not forget the amount of Hall Of Fame players Montana had on both sides of the ball. He also had a coach in Bill Walsh who came up with an offense no one had ever seen before. It took years for teams to adjust to this new style of football, a great coach and system that Montana thrived in.

Brady on the other hand did not, and still doesn’t have anywhere close to the number of Hall Of Fame players Joe had. The comebacks alone in Super Bowls favor Brady, having 6 in 6 wins. And did his part in the losses too, by getting the lead, only for the defense to break at the end.

Montana has been bounced twice in the divisional round, twice in the Wild Card and three times in the NFC Championship. Montana in 11 seasons has gone one and done in the playoffs 4 times.

The GOAT Tom Brady in 16 playoff runs is 13-2 in the divisional round, 2-1 in the WC round and 9-4 in the AFC Championship. Brady in 16 seasons has gone one and done just twice in the playoffs.

Is 4-0 better than 6-3 in the Super Bowl? If you’ve never played sports then maybe you’d say yes. The ultimate goal of any athlete is to go as far as you can. That is something Brady’s done better than Montana. Doing so with less talent, an offense that has been seen before (unlike the 49ers), all while getting better with age. Brady wins this round, the numbers don’t lie.

“Montana Played in a Tougher and Better Era”

Again, not taking anything away from Joe Montana, I’m just telling it how it is. Sure the rules for QBs have changed over the years, but Brady played in a tough era of football himself. Rule changes to help offenses didn’t make an ounce of a difference until 2011. QB numbers didn’t go up or benefit Brady for an entire decade. From 2000-2011 only two players had a season with great numbers, Brady in 2007 and Manning in 2004. Since 2011 pretty much every QBs numbers are inflated like never before.

Defining the toughness of different eras contains a few different things:

Free Agency -Montana played when teams didn’t change and Hall Of Fame players typically stayed together. Brady has had a revolving door of players throughout his entire career, mostly castaways who were turned into Champions.

Defensive players -Tom Brady has played and shredded some of the best defenders and all time defensive units and coaches. The 2000 Steelers and Ravens, 2003 Buccaneers, The LOB Seahawks were no match in the Super Bowl, 2015 Broncos, 2017 Jags, the two Giants Super Bowl teams and the 2018 Rams. Just think of the players on those teams, and how if it weren’t for Brady most of them would have Super Bowl rings.

Geography – Joe Montana Played in a sunny warm climate, while Brady’s been playing in the Northeast. Freezing temperatures, snow and rain in a division where he plays in Boston and New York. No problem for #12.

This is the first of my 3 part Myth Busting Brady Hate. Next up will be topics like “The AFC Least”, “Deflategate, “Brady has no records” and my personal favorite: QBs like Rodgers, Marino, Brees and Manning being on Tom Brady’s level. Starting to feel like I’m writing a book, so these next topics plus more will be coming out soon. Hope you Pats fans can use some of these facts when arguing with Brady hating friends.

Jimmy Garoppolo Sees Himself as the Underdog (@stevea1127)

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Bill Belichick Saw Tom Brady in Jimmy Garoppolo

New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Bill Belichick saw something special in Jimmy Garoppolo from the beginning. Whispers around Foxborough from the moment Garoppolo was drafted claimed he had the same attitude that Tom Brady had when he was drafted. That drive that everyone was better than him and he was the underdog. Bill Belichick loved that in Brady and he loved it in Jimmy Garoppolo too. The relationship with Kyle Shanahan played also a part as to why Belichick sent Garoppolo to the 49ers. Belichick has a lot of respect for Garoppolo and wanted to give him the best chance to win. Garoppolo wasn’t going to get that opportunity in Cleveland.

Bill Belichick Congratulated Garoppolo After Every Win

After every game in December Bill Belichick texted Jimmy Garoppolo congratulating him on his wins according to Sports Illustrated. Now people will spin that and say was he texting Brady after every win he got? That answer is no. For Belichick to text Garoppolo after every win is clear. Belichick really wanted to keep Garoppolo and knows he’ll be something special in years to come.

Garoppolo Was in the Shadow of the Patriot Way

Jimmy Garoppolo looked up to Brady and was excited to be in his shadow. He wanted to really be just like him but in his own way. Garoppolo told the Bleacher Report that he was really trying to get the starting job. That was his goal but Brady was standing in the way of that. Jimmy Garoppolo’s mother said, “Bill really, really liked Jimmy. Not like they were warm and fuzzy—but they both knew it was there.”

I wonder how many former players receive a text from Bill Belichick after a win? The answer I’m sure is not many. Jimmy Garoppolo is his own person who idolized Tom Brady and the Patriot way. He has taken that with him to San Francisco in hopes to bring a Super Bowl to Tom Brady’s childhood favorite team.

Jimmy Garoppolo On His Time With The Patriots

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Jimmy Garoppolo Discusses His Time In New England

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Jimmy Garoppolo recently had an interview with Bleacher Report. Throughout the whole interview, Garoppolo sounds a lot like Tom Brady. Garoppolo talked about the competitiveness between him and Brady. There were times after practice when Brady and Garoppolo would play the bucket game, which consists of landing a football in a trash can in the back corner of the endzone. Garoppolo told Bleacher Report ” There would be days where one of us would win and you wouldn’t talk to the other for a little while,” Jimmy says. “We’d be fine the next day, but it was one of the best things for me. We would push each other and we got two Super Bowls out of it.”

Like I’ve said before, Tom Brady got better after Jimmy Garoppolo was traded. In three seasons, Tom Brady completed 65.1 percent of his passes. Brady threw for 97 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Tom Brady maintained a quarterback rating of 103.1 while in his late 30’s. Brady declined to be in the interview by Bleacher Report. Jimmy Garoppolo was hurt the Patriots traded him but excited at the same time that he’d get a chance to start somewhere.

“WE GOT ALONG, BUT THERE WERE ALWAYS TIMES WHERE WE WANTED TO KILL EACH OTHER.” -Garoppolo, on his relationship with Brady

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Garoppolo discussed his relationship with Tom Brady, saying “The competitiveness between the two of us was very similar. If I’m playing my best friend in one-on-one basketball, if we are both into it, by the end, we are going to hate each other. That’s how it is. All the good competitors have that. We got along, but there were always times where we wanted to kill each other. It was a healthy, competitive relationship.”

At the end of the day, only Jimmy Garoppolo could steal Tom Brady’s job.

The Road Ahead For Jimmy G

Garoppolo was asked if he thought he was better than Tom Brady. He answered, “It was always a quiet confidence, I would never speak that. You believe in yourself, that’s the best way to put it. You have to pick your battles, but I had belief in myself that I could do certain things, and it’s always worked out pretty well. It will always be in me, that drive that comes from my dad telling me that someone is always working harder, that I’m always in last place and I need to catch up to someone else.”

Garoppolo came off just like a younger Brady, who felt he was in last and always played as the underdog. Five years from now, it seems very likely that Jimmy Garoppolo will be the best quarterback in the NFL and the Patriots will be kicking themselves for letting him go.

Jimmy Garoppolo Has Learned from the Best

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Jimmy Garoppolo Taking the Patriot Way with Him

Via SFGateDespite the drama in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo has gone to San Francisco to be their next franchise quarterback. You can tell Garoppolo has taken a lot from his time with the Patriots and being under Tom Brady. Jimmy Garoppolo is also a two time Super Bowl Champion and knows what it takes to win. Garoppolo should’ve been the next guy in New England. However, football fans will see him shine in San Francisco.

Jimmy Garoppolo Sounded like Tom Brady Yesterday

Via Daily SnarkGaroppolo talked yesterday and really sounded like Tom Brady. Garoppolo gathered teammates on Saturday for extra work, saying, “We had our first one this weekend. It’s just something that I like to do. It kinds of gets us away from the coaches and everything, and allows me to talk to the receivers about specific things, or the tight ends or running backs. We try to get everyone out there that we can. I understand people have things that they have to get to. But we had a great showing this Saturday. It was good. Just to be on the same page with those guys, talking through route concepts and how they see it versus how I see it, it just gets us on the same page.”

Garoppolo also said, “You’ve got to take care of their legs. They’ve got us working pretty hard during the week, so you’ve got to be careful with that. But those guys, our receivers, tight ends and running backs came back in great shape. The conditioning part of it, it always makes my job easier when I can throw forever because those guys are willing to run. It’s nice to have that luxury.”

Garoppolo Is Ready for the Upcoming Season

Via Chat SportsGaroppolo said he didn’t learn that from Tom Brady and was really starting getting teammates together in high school for a side practice. Garoppolo’s expectations going forward are having a great OTA, then minicamp, then having a great training camp. Some Patriots habits are hard to break, according to Jim Trotter of the NFL Network. One thing’s for certain- it will be fun watching Garoppolo this season. Also, it’s a break from the Patriots drama.

The History of the New England Patriots by Jersey Number #5-#10

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NUMBER FIVE

While Gostkowski and Vinatieri will go down as the two best kickers in Patriots history, Shayne Graham is a footnote of the 2010 season. When Gostkowski went down with an injury, the journeyman Graham stepped in admirably. He made all 14 of his field goal attempts in a Pats’ uniform. He is most well-known for being a Pro Bowl kicker for the Bengals.

NUMBER SIX

Ryan Allen just completed his fifth season as the Patriots punter. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and beat out Zoltan Mesko for the role. He has earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice and has performed very well under the pressure of playoff action. His best game was probably in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks when he blasted a record 64-yard punt. In Super Bowl LII against the Eagles, New England’s offense was so unstoppable that Allen did not have to punt one time. Allen was in the ball game, however, as he struggled to place a poor snap on a first half field goal miss.

NUMBER SEVEN

There hasn’t been a lot of great talent wearing the #7 for New England over their 58-year history so we have to discuss two mediocre quarterbacks! Hugh Millen went 5-15 over two seasons as the Patriots starting quarterback. He had a few good ball games during that period including stunners over Warren Moon and the Oilers and the powerful Buffalo Bills. He toughed out seven games (all losses) in ’92 playing with a seriously injured shoulder.

Jacoby Brissett was part of Tom Brady’s “wolfpack” as a member of the 2016 World Champion Patriots. Brissett had one solid start while Brady served his suspension for the deflated balls controversy and one miserable one. To be fair, he was playing with a severely injured thumb. After the 2017 preseason, the Patriots traded Brissett to Indianapolis for Phillip Dorsett. With the Colts, he was steady and dependable, but far from outstanding.

NUMBER EIGHT

Josh Miller punted for the Patriots for two and a half seasons including the Super Bowl XXXIX win over the Eagles. He had a solid night in that game forcing Philadelphia to attempt to drive the length of the field on several occasions. That proved to be an undoing for the Eagles as they conked out late in the game exhausted on offense. Ironically, Miller had a punt returned for a touchdown by Troy Brown as a member of the Steelers in the 2001 AFC championship game.

NUMBER NINE

We had to really do some investigatory work to find somebody who wore #9 that made an impact on the organization. We could not find anyone! In 1978, placekicker David Posey stepped in for the latter half of the season when John Smith went down with injury. And, in 1993, Scott Sisson had one lousy season as the kicker.

NUMBER TEN

Jabar Gaffney spent three seasons as New England’s third or fourth receiving option. In 2006, he had 11 receptions in the regular season but 21 in the postseason. He was easily Brady’s most dependable target during those ill-fated playoffs. In 2007, New England added Welker, Moss, and Stallworth, but Gaffney still made his share of big plays. None was bigger than his game-winning touchdown reception in a Monday night thriller at Baltimore. Unfortunately, Gaffney went missing for Super Bowl XLII as Brady could not connect with him on two huge second half throws.

He had an uneventful 2008 campaign with the Patriots before bolting to Denver to play under Josh McDaniels.

Jimmy Garoppolo wore #10 for the Patriots for three and a half seasons and won two Super Bowls. The Patriots drafted him with their second round choice in the 2014 draft out of Eastern Illinois. With the Panthers, Garoppolo was tremendous. He broke virtually all of Tony Romo’s school records and won the Walter Payton player of the year for best offensive player in the nation.

Though his opportunities were limited, Garoppolo flashed his brilliance when was able to get in. In the 2016 season opener at Arizona, he played incredibly well. He followed that up with a first half for the ages in New England’s home opener against Miami. Unfortunately, he got rocked by Kiko Alonzo. Therefore, he missed out on playing in the other two games Brady missed.

He was moved to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. The future looks exceedingly bright for San Francisco and their multi-millionaire starting quarterback. Patriots fans wish him nothing but the best as he was a hard worker and an excellent teammate.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Is a Brady-Garoppolo Super Bowl in the Forecast?

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JIMMY G TRADED TO SAN FRAN

In October of 2017, the Patriots traded away QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a 2018 second round pick. Prior to the transaction, Jimmy G was presumably New England’s QB of the future, as Tom Brady is nearing the end of his career. For this reason, many New England fans were troubled by the move. However, as I like to say “In Bill We Trust”. In other words, I personally did not question the move because as history shows, never question Belichick’s actions because he is always right.

49ERS PRIOR TO ACQUIRING GAROPPOLO

ninernoise.com

Since a brief run of being an elite team from 2011-2013, the 49ers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have gone just 13-35 over the past three seasons. The offseason acquisition of former Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was a step in the right direction however the roster still lacked talent and experience on both sides of the ball. The first half of the season was evident that the Shanahan signing was not quite enough as San Fran started the season 0-9. Prior to starting Jimmy G, they were 1-10. During that span they allowed twenty-six points per game while only scoring seventeen. Luckily for San Fran, a savior was sent over from New England.

JIMMY G UNDER CENTER FOR SAN FRAN

mercurynews.com

The Niners were an entirely different team once Jimmy G took over at QB. For starters, they went 5-0. The most remarkable wins came in the final two games of the season. In Week 16 they took down the Jaguars while scoring forty-four points on possibly the league’s best defense. Then the following week they stormed into LA and beat the Rams 34-13. Granted, the Rams were resting some players but it was still a very impressive road win. During the five-game win streak the Niners scored 28.8 points per game. That total was just one point less than the league-leading mark set by the Rams. Also, the efficiency of the offense vastly improved the play of the defense. During Jimmy G’s starts they allowed a respectable 19.8 points which was six less than they allowed through the first twelve weeks.

TB12 VS JIMMY G SUPER BOWL?

For 2018 it may be a stretch due for this to happen due to the strength of the NFC. However it is certainly not out of the question. Though it was a short period of time, San Fran played exceptional with Garoppolo at QB. They played well enough to make me question what the ceiling for this team really is. They have some solid weapons on offense with Carlos Hyde, Marquise Goodwin, and Matt Breida. If they manage to make a few key moves on defense then this team could become legit as soon as next season. In all likelihood, it probably will not happen in 2018, but with other NFC teams getting older a Brady vs Garoppolo Superbowl could certainly happen. Such an event would certainly be all a New England fan could ask for.

*Questions or comments? Find me on Twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

*Feature picture credit goes to WEEI.com*

The ESPN Article Tells Us Nothing

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The ESPN Article Tells Us Nothing

Via fox59.com

The ESPN article on the rift in New England is nothing new. The main Boston media and myself have been saying for weeks that there’s a rift. Belichick, Brady, and Kraft stand united because that’s what is best for the team. The only thing that matters right now is getting ready for the playoffs. Did Belichick want to keep Garoppolo? Yes. Did Kraft side with Brady? Yes. Brady is the franchise guy and the most important player in the sport. Robert Kraft spoke to Peter King and denied the ESPN report saying it was, “A total fabrication and fiction. I am telling you, it’s fiction”.

Jimmy Garoppolo Feels Betrayed by Patriots

Via FanastyPros

According to my source Jimmy Garoppolo feels betrayed by the Patriots, and also thinks Brady went to Kraft to have him traded. Kraft spoke about the trade to Peter King, saying,

“I assumed once the season started, we’d talk again at the end of the season about it. The next time I spoke with Bill about it was the Monday before the trade deadline. He called me on that Monday and said he got a deal with San Francisco for a second-round pick and quarterback Brian Hoyer. Turns out they had to cut Hoyer and then we got him. But really, this was basically a second-round pick and Brian Hoyer for Jimmy. Bill asked me if I was OK with this. I was really taken aback a little bit. I wanted to think about it I talked to Jonathan, who was okay with it, and I called Bill back and said, ‘OK’.”

Kraft would never admit Brady went to him to trade Jimmy. We will never know if that happened. But if Jimmy thinks that, then something was going on behind the scenes. Also, Jimmy Garoppolo being denied access to the TB12 Center is a lie, according to team broadcaster Scott Zolak.

Belichick to the Giants? False (For Now)

Via NY Daily News

I also wrote that Belichick could coach the Giants. Not sure if he would next season but maybe in the near future. It wouldn’t surprise me. Kraft also denied the report telling Peter King he absolutely believes Belichick will be back in 2018. Adam Schefter also believes Belichick will be the coach in 2018. The main focus right now is getting ready for the playoffs.

Robert Kraft Only Thinking About the Present?

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Robert Kraft Stepped In

Robert Kraft stepped in and traded Jimmy Garoppolo this season. Going into 2018 Garoppolo is now 7-0 as a starter in the NFL. In the five games with the 49ers Garoppolo passed for 1,560 yards with seven touchdowns. Garoppolo has proven that he is a legit NFL quarterback in the NFL. Meanwhile in New England the Patriots have 40-year-old Tom Brady, who really has not been playing well. He threw an interception against the Steelers for the first time since 2005. It’s clear Bob Kraft wanted to move on from Garoppolo and keep Brady who is bigger than the team. Brady is the franchise and so is Belichick, but did Kraft hurt the future of the franchise?

A Look into the Future

Let’s fast forward five years from now. Will Garoppolo be a Patriot again? Or will the 49ers still have a stud franchise quarterback? Will the Patriots be back at 6-10? Or will the Patriots draft a good quarterback and groom him to be the next guy? There are so many questions. Whether or not Belichick now has to draft a quarterback despite having a perfect heir in Garoppolo.

Garoppolo Is a Legit NFL Quarterback

The audio of Garoppolo calmly leading his team to a comeback win a few weeks ago was scary good. He sounded like Brady, as he took what he learned in Foxborough and took it with him to the 49ers. John Lynch wrote on the team’s website:

“We want Jimmy to be a Niner for a long time. That process is going to take place here. We’re eager to get that done, to have the opportunity. But, I think one thing that we really believe is that those things should take place between us and his representatives and not occur and transpire in the public. That’s the way we’re going to treat that. You have our assurances, and the fans do, that we’d like nothing more than to make him a Niner for a long, long time.”

We’ll see what happens, but it’s clear Belichick wanted to keep Garoppolo. However nobody was going to let him trade away the greatest quarterback of all time.

Quick Hits and Tidbits Around the NFL

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Here are some Week 13 quick hits and tidbits around the NFL:

Jimmy G Report

49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was stellar at Chicago in his first start with his new team. In addition to passing the eye test, he made several accurate throws in leading San Francisco to their second win of the year. Make no mistake, he was not facing Richard Dent or Dick Butkus, but Garappolo was outstanding in marching his team down the field all afternoon. Obviously he will have to tighten some things up in the red zone. But that largely could be a product of a lack of weapons at his disposal. The Niners will make it a priority to surround Garoppolo and their excellent half backs with a stronger offensive line and a solid WR1. Those moves make the Niners a team that could compete for a playoff spot sooner than later.

Teammate Carlos Hyde acknowledged that Garappolo looked like he learned a lot from Tom Brady. If he did, he can look forward to a superb career. Brady backups don’t necessarily work out 100% of the time. Ryan Mallet comes to mind as an utter flop. But there is a lot of optimism in the Bay area. The 1986 Bills went 4-12 with Jim Kelly and the 1998 Indianapolis Colts went 3-13 with Peyton Manning. Yet their fan bases looked to the future (rightfully so), seeing that good things were ahead. Such can be the case this season with Garoppolo if he continues to look as good as he did this past Sunday.

Heart Meter – The Broncos

One cannot get over the difference between teams that play hard for their coach and teams that do not. Last Sunday the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets were at the total opposite end of the heart meter. The Broncos were listless, emotionless, and pathetic in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. On the other hand, the Jets played with great guts and gusto in a 38-31 victory over Kansas City.

Denver’s season got off to a strong enough start. In fact, when they crushed Dallas in September, Trevor Siemian was being appointed as a real deal starting QB in the NFL. But, he crashed to the earth and his demise was as swift as his ascension. He has arguably been the worst passer in the NFL over the past two months. Brock Osweiler has been almost as bad. And Paxton Lynch was injured.

Anyone who watches the Broncos knows the problems are not just at the quarterback position. It was just two years ago that this team with an armless Peyton Manning and the inconsistent Osweiler won the Super Bowl. The huge difference between this Broncos’ team and the great teams in years’ past is they lack passion and exuberance. A very unscrutinized move this past offseason by GM John Elway was letting TJ Ward walk. Ward is an excellent safety; a Rodney Harrison-type. His teammates loved him. And, they were not silent about his departure.

Hence, when things went south, the only thing that could get this defense the slightest fired up was Aqib Talib’s obsession with Oakland receiver Michael Crabtree’s neck wear.

It looks like Vance Joseph will last only one season. And it appears his players don’t care. Miami went up 33-9 and attempted an onside kick. Yet, not a single member of the Broncos seemed to worry about being disrespected. Nobody seemed aggravated with Adam Gase’s unsportsmanlike call. The Broncos are obviously just playing out the string.

Heart Meter – The Jets

With the Jets, their 5-7 record is far exceeding their preseason expectations. With a 38-year old journeyman quarterback and a group of no names playing along the offensive line, it is simply unbelievable what they have accomplished this season. When they fell behind a determined Chiefs’ team, it would have been easy for the Jets to reckon, “It’s not our day”. But, they fired back swiftly and defeated the befuddled Chiefs 38-31.

Getty Images

Todd Bowles, as a player, was cool and quiet. That style fits his young team. Bowles has done an excellent job with this team and unlike the Broncos and the Giants for that matter, his guys play hard for him and each other.

Antonio Brown is Amazing

Speaking of playing with heart and guts, is there anybody in the NFL better than Antonio Brown? This guy brings it each week. Indeed, at his pace, he will a first ballot Hall of Famer. One would be hard-pressed to find a wide receiver in NFL history that has dominated so many games over such a long period time as Brown has done since 2013.

Aaron Doster

Therefore, Brown truly deserves MVP consideration. Other than Adrian Peterson’s other-worldly 2012 season, the league MVP typically goes to the quarterback with the best stats or on the best team. This season is not different. The national media has fallen in love with Carson Wentz so he will be a favorite. Russell Wilson has been incredible this season and Tom Brady is Tom Brady so they will be in the conversation as well. But, it is foolhardy to think the NFL has a more valuable player than the Steelers’ wide out. Brown makes terrific catches. He is an elusive runner in the open field. He is as tough as nails and has as much fun on the field as can be allowed by the league office. Those are the necessary traits to deem someone as valuable.

Can Green Bay Really Make the Playoffs?

The Packers are actually in pretty good shape to make the playoffs if Aaron Rodgers plays as great as he usually does down the stretch this season. He will not be eligible to play at Cleveland. But, Green Bay should be able to win that ball game even with back up Brett Hundley.

Rodgers can play next week at Carolina, which conveniently is a team that the Pack will need to catch. After that, Green Bay will host the Vikings on a Sunday night with revenge on their minds. They then close at Detroit. They hold tiebreakers over Dallas and Seattle, but not with Atlanta if it comes down to those things. If they “run the table”, they will likely get in and if they get in, look out!

The NFC has been much more exciting, interesting and competitive this season than the AFC. Their champion will have truly deserved it. Consider this: The teams in the hunt like Carolina, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas and Green Bay are vastly superior to the AFC teams in the hunt like Tennessee, Baltimore, Buffalo, Oakland, and Kansas City. What is the big deal? Pittsburgh and New England will truly have the easiest route to winning the Super Bowl this season. So, the more that things change, the more they stay the same.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Will Garoppolo Return to the New England Patriots?

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Jimmy Garoppolo Throws a Touchdown Pass in 9ers Debut

Jimmy Garoppolo made his San Francisco 49ers debut Sunday, throwing a touchdown pass with time running out in the fourth quarter. The 49ers are starting Garoppolo on Sunday. Jimmy found out Tuesday morning according to my source. It seems like they are holding him until next season and might give him the franchise tag in 2018. I have a source that says Garoppolo is not happy San Francisco won’t pay him.

Will Garoppolo Comeback to New England in the Future?

My source also said Garoppolo doesn’t know if he would comeback to New England after Tom Brady retires. He is currently on his last year of his four year contract, worth $3,483,898 according to spotrac.com. This season he is making $434,158. It looks like the 49ers are going to franchise him next season, see how he plays, and them offer him a contract extension. If Garoppolo signs a three year deal with San Francisco, would he come back to New England afterwards? He knows the system and he has been a starter in the league for three seasons. At that point Brady would be 43 and would probably call it a great Hall of Fame Career. Even if he doesn’t Jimmy Garoppolo could still possibly come back.

Garoppolo Deserves to Start

When Garoppolo was traded, the head coach for the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan, said that there was no rush to play him.

“By no means are we trying to rush the process. I would definitely not expect it this week. We’ll look at it each week and when we feel that he’s comfortable and has a chance to go in and have a success with the time he has put in and the reps he has gotten in practice then we’ll decide that time is right.”

After C.J. Beathard got hurt, Garoppolo got his time to shine and prove that learning from Tom Brady has paid off. Garoppolo deserves to be a starter in the league, which is why he was traded.