Unlike the start of Jacoby Brissett tonight, the prospect of Jimmy Garoppolo starting in Week 1 was something Patriots fans had months in advance to prepare for. Additionally, Garoppolo has been on the roster since the 2014 season, so the New England fan base had gotten to know the Eastern Illinois product.
But tonight we are going to see something we didn’t expect or have much time to think about.
Brissett starting in Week 3 marks the first time in 23 years that the Patriots will start a rookie quarterback.