Jimmy Garoppolo vs Buffalo - 10/17, 90 yards

Play 26
Situation: 3rd and 2 at NE 33
Description: Q4 - (1:06) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Garoppolo pass incomplete short right to B.LaFell.

On 3rd down the Bills cover Garoppolo’s initial reads but his checkdown is wide open on the left side of the field. It’s 3rd down and 2 with 1:06 remaining which means this quick pass would have gotten the Patriots the first down and more. Garoppolo doesn’t see it though.
Play 27
Situation: 4th and 2 at NE 33
Description: Q4 - (:58) (Shotgun) J.Garoppolo pass incomplete short middle to D.Amendola.

On 4th down and 2, Garoppolo in in Shotgun Slot Right Far with Amendola running a slant route over the middle of the field. CB37 Robey does an excellent job of shutting down the route. On the far right side of the field, WR19 LaFell runs a quick hitch route to the first down marker against his defender in off-man coverage. Granted the outside CB drops quickly backwards as Garoppolo is snapping the ball, so I don’t blame him for not seeing it as the slant route is the quick first read here instead.

Overall what interested me was seeing how Belichick adapted his system with Garoppolo in at quarterback instead of Brady playing. The Patriots ran more bootlegs and read-option plays that I think they will carry over next season for when Garoppolo gets to start in place of Brady. Garoppolo needs to keep working on his field vision to see the open receiver and learn to lead his wide receivers more now that he is in the NFL. It’ll be exciting to see what he can do with the Patriots in the first four weeks next year.