The New England Patriots have been busy week practicing and preparing in order to get ready to face their next preseason opponent in Foxboro. The Patriots will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles this Friday night. The Patriots and Pats fans will hope the team gets back to their winning ways at home, after getting blown out by the Washington Redskins by a score of 23-6 at FedEx Field. If you are looking to see the next preseason game, Patriots tickets are still available for purchase.
Last Week’s Game Backup QB Performances
Against the Redskins, the Patriots were without the sure-passing Tom Brady, and fans watched backup Ryan Mallet struggled to maintain drives for two quarters. However, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo impressed, and provided the Patriots with their only score.
Ryan Mallet did not seem to play his best game, and looked slow going through his reads. Mallet also struggled with accuracy, only completed 5 of his 12 passes for a total of 55 yards. Garoppolo on the other hand, moved around the pocket well, and threw the ball accurately around the field. He completed 9 of his 13 passes for 157 yards, and threw a touchdown pass. Of course, Tom Brady will be the unquestioned starter, but will be interesting to see if Garoppolo will move above Mallet in the depth chart in the coming weeks.
Looks like Tom Will Play against Eagles
Recently, Tom Brady has talked about the importance of the preseason, and the need to actually play in games and get snaps. Tom explained that he wants to play as much as Coach Belichick will let him, and the significance of playing in game situations.
In the joint practices that the Patriots are holding with the Eagles leading up to their game on August 15th, Brady looked comfortable in running the offense, as he’s been doing since 2001. Anyone looking to see Brady make his first appearance under center this season should make sure to pick up their Patriots tickets today. Also, there still Patriots tickets available for their matchup against the Oakland Raiders in Week 3 of the regular season, which will be the team’s first home game.
Team Participates in Ice Bucket Challenge
Aside from the people who have been living under a rock for the last week, the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS has recently taken social media by storm. The challenge, which has spread over social media, involves nominating someone to either dump ice water on their head, or donate to an ALS chapter. Most have decided to do both, and the Patriots decided to take part in the challenge after Tuesday’s practice.
The entire team, along with Coach Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft took part in the challenge. Belichick had been challenged by a couple of people, but the challenge coming from the New York Giants President and Co-owner John Mara seemed to be the tipping point. It was nice to see a lighter side of the head coach, who is usually overwhelmed at this point in the season with making training camp cuts, and getting the team ready for the long season ahead. It’s nice to see some NFL teams taking part in the challenge, which in turn is helping raise more awareness for ALS. Don’t forget to buy your Patriots tickets for the games you want to see today!
