Patriots at Cardinals
Tom Brady will not be under center in a season opener for the first time since 2001 when the New England Patriots pay a visit to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night. Brady will be serving the first of a four-game suspension for his involvement in the "Deflategate" scandal, putting third-year quarterback Jimmy Garappolo in the spotlight for his first career start.
To underscore the act that Garappolo is trying to follow, albeit for four games, is the fact that New England is the only team in league history to win division titles in 12 of the past 13 seasons with Brady at the helm. "He has done a lot of little things to help me, whether it be on the field or off the field," Garappolo said of Brady. "You spend so much time with the guy that you pick up little things that he does that you find helpful and you put it towards your own game." While the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game last season, Arizona finished 13-3 and also came up one win short of the Super Bowl after losing to Carolina in the NFC title game. Quarterback Carson Palmer and all the key players on offense return on a team that led the NFL with 408.3 yards per game and bolstered its pass rush by acquiring Pro Bowl defensive end Chandler Jones from New England in the offseason.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Cardinals -6. O/U: 47.5
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (2015: 12-4, first in AFC East): Garappolo has the league's biggest matchup nightmare at his disposal in the person of Rob Gronkowski, who had 72 catches for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns last season to become the only tight end in league history to post double-digit TDs five teams. Julian Edelman had 61 receptions and seven TDs through nine games before suffering a broken foot last season and will be another safety valve for Garappolo, who may use sledgehammer running back LeGarrette Blount in an attempt to keep Arizona's offense off the field. New England lost its best all-around defensive player last week when pass-rushing end Rob Ninkovich was suspended four games after testing positive for a banned substance.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (2015: 13-3, first in NFC West): Palmer established franchise records for touchdowns (35), yards (4,671) and completion percentage (104.6) before unraveling in the conference championship game with six turnovers. His receiving corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and speedster John Brown return while second-year running back David Johnson opens the season as the starter after scoring 13 touchdowns as a rookie and playing superbly down the stretch when Chris Johnson suffered a broken leg. Playmaking safely Tyrann Mathieu is back after tearing an ACL in his knee late last season and Jones is expected to rectify the biggest weakness on defense after notching a career-high 12.5 sacks last season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Arizona (30.6 points per game) and New England (29.1) ranked second and third, respectively, in scoring last season.
2. Fitzgerald has 109 catches for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
3. The Patriots acquired CB Eric Rowe from Philadelphia on Tuesday for a conditional draft pick.