Where was Brady?

Tom Brady was supposed to play in Thursday nights game, as multiple reports indicated hours before kick off. 

However, he did not end up playing and according to Comcast Sportsnet it was because he sliced his right thumb open with scissors while trying to get something out of the bottom of his cleats. 

"I made a decision before the game to just play Jimmy and Jacoby," said Bill Belichick after the game when asked about what happened. 

This was the last chance for Brady to play at Gillette Stadium before serving his suspension, and a good chance that this was the only preseason game he was going to play. 

Jacoby Brissett

If Garoppolo goes down, right now it is on rookie Jacoby Brissett to carry the load. 

Brissett came into the game in the third quarter and went 9 of 13 for 87 yards while taking 3 sacks and losing 9 yards. 

When watching Brissett, it's obvious that he has the foot speed if he needs it and he has the arm to get the ball down the field. 

It will just be a matter of getting more reps in game action and in practice. 

LeGarrette Blount

After a unimpressive performance in the first preseason game (9 carries for 20 yards), and a week of practice in which first team reps were taken away from him, LeGarrette Blount responded with 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown.  

Blount's longest run was 21 yards in which he was able to make multiple defenders miss 1-on-1. Blount cut well the entire night, something we did not see against the Saints. 

On a side note, the offensive line did a much better job of opening holes for the running game. 

One concern, and this is not just Blount but just in general, the Patriots had first and goal from the Chicago 3-yard line and on three straight runs, they could not punch it in. 

Offensive Line

David Andrews made the start at center while Nate Solder bounced back from a tough game against the Saints. 

Jimmy Garoppolo was not sacked once in the game, the one time the Bears thought they had him, the play was called back on a hold. 

The O-line was also a factor in the running game, helping to create holes and push the defense backwards. 

Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo got off to a slow start for the second straight game, going three and out on the first drive was impressive the rest of the way. 

The third year backup played the entire first half and one series into the third quarter going 16 for 21 for 181 yards and a touchdown pass. 

2-Minute Drill 

Garoppolo's most impressive stretch came in the final minutes of the half when the Patriots got the ball back with 1:42 left and all three time outs. 

On the drive, Garoppolo went 5 of 7 for 57 yards and capped it off with a 16 yard touchdown pass over the middle to A.J. Derby. He then hit receiver Chris Hogan for the two point conversion and gave the Patriots a 17-11 lead.