Source: Garappolo to start - (update - inactive per Schefter

[ganesh]

I'm sure I will end up eating my words but I'm not real worried about stopping their run game. Blount is the least versatile RB we've faced this year. Their offense should be a bit limited due to JG shoulder. I don't think the deep ball will be there. He hasn't been on the same page with hogan except for week 1 when there was a coverage breakdown and he was wide open. Typically they kill us with the short stuff and YAC with Gronk and Edelman. With JG shoulder situation that is where I think they will need to be successful. That's where I hope they can get the stops they got last November. If not they will eat up clock, we won't get off the field on 3rd down, and Blount will get 100 in the 4th qtr alone as they grind out the win.

I am worried about our offense. It has been pretty lethargic except for McCoy's great game last week. Now it does not have Watkins, Clay and Salas. Wood and Goodwin don't give me any confidence.

[Captain Caveman]

We should come out with 8 defensive tackles, the Brown brothers playing CB, and Jerry Hughes playing safety. Really phuck with their heads.

11 Kyle Williamses

[Deranged Rhino]

I am worried about our offense. It has been pretty lethargic except for McCoy's great game last week. Now it does not have Watkins, Clay and Salas. Wood and Goodwin don't give me any confidence.

 

Clay is playing.

[John from Riverside]

Its not Brady

 

Get it done

[atlbillsfan1975]

I am worried about our offense. It has been pretty lethargic except for McCoy's great game last week. Now it does not have Watkins, Clay and Salas. Wood and Goodwin don't give me any confidence.

I am hoping and thinking less options might be better for TT. I can be wrong but the less people he has to be concerned with getting the ball could help TT.

I think Wood is ready for a big game. Not sure it happens this week against a Pats D with a couple extra days rest and prep. Wood will have a big game this year.

[Buffaloed in Pa]

He musta had a lot less a.c. sprain then I have. I had a grade 3 . It still hurts ,after 4 months.

[dulles]

Good. Hope they put his shoulder on ice.

I think that is a higher likelihood than Brisket going down with his finger. Brisket doesn't need a great finger to hand off the ball. JG needs a good shoulder to throw. Release the hounds! I'm not advocating intentional injury or dirty play, but the truth is a broken player shouldn't step onto the field. Make him test his mental toughness. See if he'll be distracted by pressure.

[apuszczalowski]

We should come out with 8 defensive tackles, the Brown brothers playing CB, and Jerry Hughes playing safety. Really phuck with their heads.

if you really want to phuck with their heads, send the starting offence out on the field instead of the defence and have them act like they are on offence or mirroring the pats offence. They will either lose track of the game clock and take a delay of game penalty or will be so confused they can't continue

[Pneumonic]

The Pats gameplan might well be to start JG in order to score a quick 7, replace him with Brissett, and then rely on the defense to limit the Bills to under 7 points for the win. I think that would be a very sound plan.

[SF Bills Fan]

The Pats gameplan might well be to start JG in order to score a quick 7, replace him with Brissett, and then rely on the defense to limit the Bills to under 7 points for the win. I think that would be a very sound plan.

If we overthink these scenarios, it will drive us nuts. Just get out and play sound defense and make tackles with no stupid penalties.

[YoloinOhio]

Pats lost at home last year to a crap Eagles team. With Brady. Because they played like **** and made mistakes. Everyone puts them on some pedestal. They are capable of losing.

 

While not likely. It's not impossible they can lose to a crap Bills team at home. Rex nearly beat them in foxboro with a crap Geno-led Jets team in 2014, if not for a blocked Jets FG.

[Dragonborn10]

We got this. If TT and Rex blow this, Pegs will fire both Whaley and Rex after the game.

[GunnerBill]

Rex nearly beat them in foxboro with a crap Geno-led Jets team in 2014, if not for a blocked Jets FG.

 

Blocked illegally as well I seem to recall. Should have been a flag thrown.

[CodeMonkey]

Hit him hard. Take the penalty.

Way to stay classy.

[dayman]

Rex really needs to cook up some sort of magic stew for the next several weeks on defense if we're going to win. It really doesn't matter who plays QB, we need to be prime Rex...walking around pre-snap, looking crazy and totally without order, and yet getting pressure and having our cover guys right where they need to be somehow.

[jethro_tull]

We should come out with 8 defensive tackles, the Brown brothers playing CB, and Jerry Hughes playing safety. Really phuck with their heads.

i like this!

Hit him hard. Take the penalty.

Just not on third down.

The goal should be to hit Jimmy hard and drive him into the ground a few times on that shoulder. I have ac joint impingement and it tightens up and you lose mobility. Forget the pain, once it gets tight you can't even move the arm in a throwing motion due to lack of mobility

Take away the short throws and make him throw it far. He won't be able to

getting to the QB on quick timing routes is very difficult.

[SWATeam]

We got this. If TT and Rex blow this, Pegs will fire both Whaley and Rex after the game.

So if we lose a game that we're about 6.5 dogs in we clean house?

 

This place is hilarious. Trump would've been the perfect owner.

 

Rex, you're fired!

Whaley, you're fired!

Brandon, you're fired!

Training staff, you're fired!

[Awwufelloff]

28-21 loss. Was really hoping he wouldn't start.

[SWATeam]

28-21 loss. Was really hoping he wouldn't start.

Is this where we are? Holding out hope that the backup can't play?

[Fadingpain]

So if we lose a game that we're about 6.5 dogs in we clean house?

 

This place is hilarious. Trump would've been the perfect owner.

 

Rex, you're fired!

Whaley, you're fired!

Brandon, you're fired!

Training staff, you're fired!

Forget the 6.5 dog stuff or the win/loss this for this single game.

Just clean house regardless.

[Jared]

Pats fan here.

 

For those asking about deep throws, Brady has never been a great deep thrower himself. Part of this is the receivers they've had. Back in the earlier Brady years, it was David Patten, Troy Brown, and then eventually Deion Branch and David Givens. None of those guys are pure burners (Patten is probably the fastest of the group), and most were 5'10 or under. Givens was the biggest of the group, but he was no Randy Moss. Except for a couple Randy years, the Pats have never had a big+fast downfield threat who can consistently win one on one battles 50 yards down the field. Instead, most of the deep plays are the result of creative play design which gets 2nd and 3rd tier receivers WIDE OPEN or they hit a squirrely receiver 15 yards down the field, and rely on YAC to get more. Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola. That is how those guys rack up the yards. Get them in the ball in space and let them work.

 

What that means for Jimmy? If he can play through pain and still make the right reads and deliver quickly, he should be fine. This offense doesn't rely on arm strength (and Brady has never been one of the top arm strength QBs in the league). The biggest issue will be protecting him and keeping him upright. If a couple Bills fall on him and start beating him up, will he get happy feet? Will he be afraid of contact? Those are the issues that are most likely to hold him back (other than basic things like receivers not getting open, etc).

[YoloinOhio]

@adamschefter

Patriots do not expect to know which QB they will start Sun., Jimmy Garappolo or Jacoby Brissett, until pre-game warmups, per league source.

[CommonCents]

@adamschefter

Patriots do not expect to know which QB they will start Sun., Jimmy Garappolo or Jacoby Brissett, until pre-game warmups, per league source.

Bunch of garbage! Jimmy G. is going to be the guy tommorrow. Could BB trot out Brisket for the opening snap? Sure. Jimmy G. takes the majority of the snaps though

[ganesh]

Forget the 6.5 dog stuff or the win/loss this for this single game.

Just clean house regardless.

How many "clean house" will we keep doing every two years....At some point you got to give them the continuity. It is not Rex's fault that the Bills haven't been to the playoffs in 15 years when he came on board. How many playoffs has Fisher taken the team. How many playoff wins does Marvin Lewis have for the Bengals in spite of a loaded roster.

[Mr. WEO]

How many "clean house" will we keep doing every two years....At some point you got to give them the continuity. It is not Rex's fault that the Bills haven't been to the playoffs in 15 years when he came on board. How many playoffs has Fisher taken the team. How many playoff wins does Marvin Lewis have for the Bengals in spite of a loaded roster.

 

Gotta love it when the strongest arguments for "continuity" are pointing out the failures of teams that are accepting of inappropriate continuity.

[SF Bills Fan]

Garapolo had a good game against the Dolphins but I think we can all agree that the Dolphins are also pretty terrible. I expect us to destroy Miami twice this year. I think this is a very even game and winnable- unlike the dark years when you knew we would lose.

[Dr.Sack]

Both are hurt. Hit the hell out of each of them.

[SF Bills Fan]

Pats fan here.

 

For those asking about deep throws, Brady has never been a great deep thrower himself. Part of this is the receivers they've had. Back in the earlier Brady years, it was David Patten, Troy Brown, and then eventually Deion Branch and David Givens. None of those guys are pure burners (Patten is probably the fastest of the group), and most were 5'10 or under. Givens was the biggest of the group, but he was no Randy Moss. Except for a couple Randy years, the Pats have never had a big+fast downfield threat who can consistently win one on one battles 50 yards down the field. Instead, most of the deep plays are the result of creative play design which gets 2nd and 3rd tier receivers WIDE OPEN or they hit a squirrely receiver 15 yards down the field, and rely on YAC to get more. Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola. That is how those guys rack up the yards. Get them in the ball in space and let them work.

 

What that means for Jimmy? If he can play through pain and still make the right reads and deliver quickly, he should be fine. This offense doesn't rely on arm strength (and Brady has never been one of the top arm strength QBs in the league). The biggest issue will be protecting him and keeping him upright. If a couple Bills fall on him and start beating him up, will he get happy feet? Will he be afraid of contact? Those are the issues that are most likely to hold him back (other than basic things like receivers not getting open, etc).

Agreed- very accurate assessment of the Pats pass game. They never had a stud receiver. It is always the great game plan that they stick to and execute perfectly. It's all about a quick pass and YAC that carries the offense. Brady is awesome at reading the D and he can perfectly place the ball in the hands of Edelman and Welker etc. When the opposition panics and over compensates to stop a particular facet of the Pats offense, then they get killed by a guy like Tyms or it is Gronk time. Bellichick is great adjusting. As for tomorrow- the key for the Bills is stop Blount and make Garapolo make those throws. Don't go all out on the pressure but take away those middle throws. I suspect Rex will blitz like mad and that will not be the right call.

 

As for our offense, you know Bellichick will take away the run game and neutralize McCoy and contain Tyrod. That is it. He'll dare Tyrod to throw to win. Tyrod's normal little 3 yard passes and swing outs will not get the job done. I'm counting on Lynn to step up with a plan to throw over the middle which is not Tyrod's forte.

[TheBillsOrDie]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17688792/new-england-patriots-choose-jimmy-garoppolo-jacoby-brissett-sunday-warmups

 

On ESPN this Morning

[Jimmythreetimes]

The Buffalo bills make me want to shout! I want to hear that song played

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

The Refs will win this one for NE, cue the phantom penalties, the "Bills most undisciplined team" storyline rears it's head in this one. Bellicheat doesnt have to beat us cuz he knows we'll beat ourselves

I fear this will be the case

[Boo Radley Boston]

Garapolo had a good game against the Dolphins but I think we can all agree that the Dolphins are also pretty terrible. I expect us to destroy Miami twice this year. I think this is a very even game and winnable- unlike the dark years when you knew we would lose.

 

The Dolphins came to play that Sunday. They didn't look terrible to Garropalo.

 

Even game?

I fear this will be the case

 

Rex always has an excuse because its never because of him.

 

Yup, ignore Rexs clock management and boneheaded challenges. Ask any Jets fan how Rex lets the inmates run the prison.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

@MikeGarafolo

Jimmy Garoppolo needed a shot last week to practice. Was limited to about 100 throws per day. Typical game day is upward of 200.

 

@RapSheet

Ian Rapoport Retweeted Mike Garafolo

Starting to seem like an uphill battle for Jimmy G to start. Edelman is in the bullpen to backup

 

[26TrapDraw]

I think we should come out with a 7 DB set, with some playing as LB's and totally mind f*** whoever they have playin QB...

think the opposite needs to happen from the start. Get someone to plant his ass on a blitz early and disrupt his mindset. He's no Brady and will not shake it off especially if we are smart enough to deposit him right on that bad shoulder. Remember we did what your proposing against the Jets. How'd that work out for us?

 

The floppy one

[thebandit27]

 

The Dolphins came to play that Sunday. They didn't look terrible to Garropalo.

 

Even game?

 

 

Rex always has an excuse because its never because of him.

 

Yup, ignore Rexs clock management and boneheaded challenges. Ask any Jets fan how Rex lets the inmates run the prison.

Your condescension aside, yes, I'll call it an even game.

 

Buffalo's D made a much better QB than either Janine Garrafolo or The Brisket Brigade look like a rookie last week, so let's not assume anything regarding what either guy could do in his first exposure to Rex's scheme.

 

Even Tommy Boy struggled against it in Week 11 last year.

[26CornerBlitz]

@ESPNNFL

The Patriots' quarterback decision won't come until pregame warmups Sunday. (via @AdamSchefter)

[KDIGGZ]

Jimmy Gelato is starting. I heard it from my buddy Slippery Sal at the race track. I'm preeeeeetty sure

 

[YoloinOhio]

If he does, hes not 100 percent based on these reports and it means they don't think they can win with this game with Brissett (which would surprise me). I assumed they think they can win with no QB.

Edited October 2, 2016 by YoloinOhio

[YoloinOhio]

@adamschefter

Patriots QB Jimmy Garappolo will be inactive today, source tells ESPN.

[The Wiz]

@adamschefter

Patriots QB Jimmy Garappolo will be inactive today, source tells ESPN.

So Brisket and Edelman as the backup?