New England Patriots: What We've Learned Through Week 2 of Training Camp
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's case is being heard in court, and soon enough, we can finally put the saga of Deflategate behind us and focus on real football matters.
Good luck finding any of that in a Google search for the team or its quarterback.
But with two weeks of training camp down, and less than a month remaining until the regular-season home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we've already learned quite a bit about the Patriots that doesn't pertain to football inflation levels, logo gauges versus non-logo gauges and media reports that are accepted as gospel and proved as false when more details become available.
What else have we learned?
The Patriots Have an Emergency at Emergency Quarterback
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The third quarterback spot on the depth chart might as well read "in case of emergency, break glass."
Of course, that emergency is far more likely if Judge Richard Berman rules in favor of the league and far less likely if he rules in favor of Brady and the Patriots. Either way, it's an emergency the Patriots need to be prepared for.
First, it was veteran journeyman Matt Flynn. The veteran quarterback was the backup behind Jimmy Garoppolo for minicamp and organized team activities but spent the first week of training camp on the non-football injury list. The Patriots unceremoniously cut him and picked up third-year quarterback Ryan Lindley.
It was a little surprising that we didn't see Lindley at all in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. He probably doesn't have a good grasp of the offense just yet, given the fact that he joined the team less than 72 hours before the game began. His first practice, however, was one of the sloppier offensive practices in recent Patriots memory. He completed only 10 of his 20 pass attempts on a rainy Tuesday afternoon and threw a ghastly interception right into safety Duron Harmon's chest.
The Patriots had better hope they never have to break the glass.
Malcolm Butler Is a Playmaker
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You name the day, Malcolm Butler will make the play.
The Patriots cornerback put himself on the map with a string of strong performances in training camp in 2014 and made himself a household name with a goal-line interception in the Super Bowl just six months later. That's a sharp upward career trajectory, and Butler isn't showing any signs of slowing down.
Day after day, he has been showing up at training camp with pass breakups and interceptions, showing the ball skills that will be vital in a Patriots secondary that is facing some drastic turnover in its personnel. His ability also showed up in the preseason opener, in which he yielded only one completion on three throws into his coverage before his night came to an end—a one-drive outing that is the true sign of a veteran.
There's no question that Butler is the Patriots' best cornerback at this point. The only question that's left is who will be starting opposite him at right cornerback.
The Injury Struggle Is Real
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A lot of teams look like Super Bowl contenders on paper. But what happens when someone rips up more than a quarter of that paper and hands you the remnants? Things get a little shakier.
The Patriots were without 23 of 90 players for Thursday's game. Five players have missed all 11 practices (wide receiver Brandon LaFell, linebacker Dane Fletcher, guard Ryan Wendell, guard Caylin Hauptmann and defensive tackle Chris Jones), and three more have missed more than a handful of consecutive practices (offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, defensive tackle Joe Vellano and running back Dion Lewis).
Others have been limited in their involvement: linebacker Dont'a Hightower, wide receivers Matthew Slater and Brian Tyms and linebacker Dont'a Hightower are all wearing red non-contact jerseys, and running back LeGarrette Blount has been on and off the practice field of late.
Defensive ends Rufus Johnson and Trey Flowers were injured during the course of Thursday's game and did not finish.
These injuries present opportunities for other players to step up, but the Patriots have to be hoping that they get back to full health in a hurry.
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Tom Brady's Case in Court Is Better Than Anticipated
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It finally happened. The NFL finally seems to have admitted that the Wells Report was a sham.
NFL attorney Daniel Nash may have slipped up in court Wednesday when he called the Wells Report a "red herring," which is as close as you'll get to an admission that this report started with the conclusion and added the facts along the way.
When Judge Richard Berman went after the NFL in his attempt to clarify the facts of Deflategate and the findings of the Wells Report, he provided a blueprint for how this case could easily go in favor of the Patriots. Berman was even able to get Nash to admit that there is no clear evidence Brady was aware of any wrongdoing during the Jan. 18 Colts game, per Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com.
If this is the direction the case is heading, Brady could walk away with a clean slate.
Jimmy Garoppolo Is One Tough Guy
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Seven brutal sacks were not enough to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from getting back up.
The backup quarterback played behind a backup offensive line, throwing to backup wide receivers, and he was still able to complete 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 159 yards and an interception.
It's a tribute to his toughness that, even without all five of last year's starting offensive linemen, two of the top wide receivers and the top tight end and running back, Garoppolo managed to move the ball at all. The Patriots may need some of that toughness from Garoppolo to start the 2015 season if Tom Brady is suspended for any length of time in September.
That being said, he'll have much more firepower at his disposal in Week 1 than he had on Thursday night against the Packers.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information obtained via firsthand observation. All quotes obtained firsthand.
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