Against a secondary no longer featuring its top three cornerbacks from a year ago, backup Jimmy Garoppolo uncorked a whopping five interceptions.
Four of those picks came in the all-important two-minute drill. For comparison purposes, the Boston Herald marked Brady as 14-of-15 with one drop in the same drill.
The team's official website noted that Garoppolo struggled with "slow reads, balls thrown behind intended targets, late throws and turnovers."
It's not realistic to expect a greenhorn Garoppolo to match Brady, who has made an art out of the two-minute drill in recent years. It's also unfair to overemphasize poor play in one session out of an entire offseason.
That said, Thursday's practice is a reminder that the Patriots are at a considerable competitive disadvantage without their most valuable player in September.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... sdays-otas
