FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — As strange as it is to say, Tom Brady is not the New England Patriots quarterback heading into next Sunday night’s 2016 regular season opener in Arizona against the NFC-finalist Cardinals.
With the preseason games in the history books — including Brady starting the finale against the Giants — the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s four-game Deflategate suspension is underway and head coach Bill Belichick’s team opens the new season with someone other than No. 12 under center for the first time since 2001.
But even with third-year vet Jimmy Garoppolo set to make his first career start and hold down the fort for the first month, the Patriots remain the favorites in Las Vegas to win Super Bowl LI next February in Houston.
While Garoppolo is a major unknown at the most important position in the game, New England’s favored status is buoyed by the fact that the team is as deep and talented across the board as it’s been in quite some time. Belichick raved all summer about his roster, calling the depth of the team at wide receiver, tight end, defensive line and safety as deep as he’s had in his time in New England.
Make no mistake, even with Brady out of the picture the Patriots have plenty of elite talent heading into the challenging opener in Arizona Sunday night. Despite sitting out the summer, tight end Rob Gronkowski is expected to hit the ground running as the centerpiece of the passing attack as Garoppolo’s likely top target, but the addition of Martellus Bennett via trade adds another option at the position.
The receiver spot is also deep. Julian Edelman is healthy in his slot role while Chris Hogan joins the mix as a versatile inside-out option. Though pass-catching back Dion Lewis starts the year on PUP, James White is more than capable of picking up the slack as he did over the second half of last season.
If there is a major question heading into Arizona, it’s a New England offensive line that is in flux dealing with injuries and uncertainty. The unit that was dominated in the AFC Championship loss in Denver has more questions than answers at this point. Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer is on PUP, former starting center Bryan Stork was cut and left tackle Nate Solder suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason finale.
The return of respected offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia from a two-year retirement certainly brings more collective confidence and likely improved communication to a front that struggled a year ago. But opening against a Cardinals team that blitzed more than any in the game a year ago will test New England’s personnel mightily right out of the gates.
If Garoppolo doesn’t get the time and protection he needs, expecting him to flourish in a tough road environment — even if the Patriots attempt to simplify things through quick reads and high-percentage throws — may not be realistic.
Defensively, there is as much confidence and expectation in New England as there has been in a decade. Pro Bowlers in linebacker Jamie Collins, cornerback Malcolm Butler and safety Devin McCourty lead a versatile, athletic, ball-hawking crew that appears poised to make plenty of plays after forcing 10 turnovers in preseason action. A unit that ranked in the top 10 in yards and points last season has its sights set on even better thing with another year of experience and offseason additions such as defensive end Chris Long, top pick cornerback Cyrus Jones, and linebackers Shea McClellin and Barkevious Mingo.
One of the great questions of the summer in New England is what record the Patriots will have when Garoppolo hands the reins of the team back to Brady on Oct. 9 for the Week 5 battle in Cleveland. Can the inexperienced young passer keep the team afloat with games at Arizona and three straight at Gillette Stadium against the Dolphins, Texans and Bills? Will Brady take over with a foundation for a title run or trying to dig out of a quarter-pole hole?
Another season begins in New England with the usual high expectations, even if the usual rock that is Brady will be absent from the game plan for the first four weeks.
PATS NOTES: Wide receiver Danny Amendola (knee/ankle) is on the Patriots active roster to open the season after missing the entire preseason on active PUP. While it’s not a certainty that the veteran receiver will be ready for the opener Sunday night in Arizona, Belichick made it clear Amendola was healthy enough to avoid missing the first six weeks had he been placed on reserve PUP.
“We wouldn’t activate a player unless we had the medical department clear them and we felt like he would be able to perform and participate,” Belichick said. “Danny works hard like he always does and we feel he’s ready to come off of that reserve designation.”