He was consistent. He was decisive. He was poised. And he was mostly very accurate.
Jimmy Garoppolo looked like a capable NFL quarterback in New England's 26-24 preseason victory over the Saints on Saturday night. Given that Garoppolo may have to start the first four games of the season if Tom Brady's suspension is upheld in federal court, his play in New Orleans had to have been an encouraging sign for his teammates and coaching staff.
The second-year product of Eastern Illinois went 28-for-33 in more than three quarters of work, passing for 269 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
One of his best drives of the game began with just over a minute remaining in the second half. Garoppolo went 5-for-5 for 65 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to undrafted rookie Chris Harper. On the scoring play, Garoppolo slithered out of a would-be sack, kept his eyes down field, and found Harper, who had adjusted his route, making good on the "scramble" play.
Garoppolo also led a 13-play drive in the third quarter that resulted in an 11-yard Dion Lewis touchdown run, and he completed seven passes during an 11-play drive that ended with a James White three-yard run.
The Patriots fell behind 21-0 in the second quarter and came back, getting a 35-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to win the game with 19 seconds left. Though it's the preseason, and though wins this time of year don't mean much, the victory meants something to Garoppolo as well as Tom Brady, who could be seen quietly fist-pumping as Gostkowski's kick sailed through the uprights.
Here are a few other notes from the Patriots second preseason game of the summer...
New England Patriots
NOT MUCH FOR BRADY
Brady started the game and played in three series, one more than he played last week in the team's first preseason game against the Packers. The Patriots went three-and-out on all three Brady drives, gaining 12 yards total in nine plays. Brady went 2-for-5 for 13 yards.
BIG NIGHT FOR LEWIS
Lewis was one of the team's top offensive performers on Saturday, catching five passes for 36 yards, including one nifty one-handed grab that went for a first down. He also ran it three times for 12 yards, including his 11-yard score where he showed good effort to drag a few defenders into the the end zone. Competing for one of the team's running back roles -- including the top passing-back spot, which appears to be an open competition -- Lewis made the most of his opportunities against the Saints. He had dealt with an injury earlier in camp that prevented him from playing against the Packers.
HARPER MAKES HIS CASE
Harper has been one of the last men standing in the team's receiver group. With many of the team's more established veterans out of action on Saturday, Harper saw eight targets and made five catches for 69 yards. He showed good awareness on his touchdown grab, and he showed up as a returner as well, taking a punt back 28 yards in the fourth quarter to help set up Gostkowski's game-winning kick.
GIBSON LIMPS OFF
Brandon Gibson appeared to injure his right leg in the fourth quarter, a tough hit for a veteran receiver who has dealt with injuries over the course of his career but had been having a productive camp with the Patriots. He led the team with eight catches for 68 yards on Saturday. With the number of injuries affecting the Patriots receivers at the moment, Gibson's ailment bears watching.