When Jimmy Garoppolo walked off the field for the final time, he draped his arm around the shoulders of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and smiled wide.
It had been a good night.
The second-year quarterback had completed 28 of his 33 pass attempts for 269 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he had just helped set up his team for what would eventually be the game-winning field goal in New England’s 26-24 preseason win over the Saints.
Poised, decisive and accurate, Garoppolo looked like a different player compared to the one who was sacked seven times by the Packers in the Patriots preseason opener.
For further sign of just how much had things had changed over the last week, consider the interaction between the quarterback and his coordinator.
Their momentary near-giddy demeanor as the clock wound down was a far cry from what was seen during the game at Gillette Stadium last week. It was also in stark contrast to what has been seen at Patriots practices this summer, during which McDaniels has often pulled Garoppolo aside, onto an empty field, and coached him hard after a rocky 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 period.
"It was good game tonight, guys made some plays and came away with a victory," Garoppolo said. "Obviously, you get two days of practice against [the Saints] and have a walkthrough the third day, that’s obviously going to help. You go against these guys, you learn as fast as you can, learn their coverages, their fronts, all their different schemes and try to put it toward the game. Obviously, it’s helpful."
Throughout Patriots training camp, there have been moments when it has seemed like Garoppolo has dealt with some hesitancy in his decision-making. Though the play of his offensive line was responsible in large part for the eight hits he took against the Packers, Garoppolo knew he had to get the football out of his hands in a more timely fashion against the Saints if he was going to remain upright.
"I wanted to get the ball out quickly," Garoppolo said. "Last week, pressure got to me a little bit. It’s never good to get sacked or hit that many times. Just wanted to get it out quickly and have a more productive game than last week."
Playing behind an offensive line anchored by left tackle Nate Solder, who missed the game versus Green Bay, Garoppolo was hit just once and spread the ball around to eight different receivers.
While the rookie trio on the interior -- left guard Shaq Mason, center David Andrews and right guard Tre’ Jackson -- appeared to have its issues in the run game (the team averaged 2.3 yards per carry on 35 attempts), it was part of a group that kept Garoppolo largely out of harm’s way.
"The O-line did a tremendous job today," he said. "I barely got touched. Felt a lot better than last week."
And it showed.
Garoppolo, who is in line to start four games for the Patriots if Tom Brady's suspension is upheld, played all but three series on Saturday. Perhaps his most impressive drive of the game began with just over a minute remaining in the second half when he went 5-for-5 for 65 yards, capping the stretch with a 24-yard touchdown pass to undrafted rookie Chris Harper.
On the scoring play, Garoppolo put his mobility on display, slithering out of a would-be sack, keeping his eyes down field, and finding Harper, who had adjusted his route to make good on the type of “scramble” play that the Patriots work on during every practice.
"There was a good momentum swing into the half, that’s for sure," Garoppolo said. "Being down 21-0 is never a good thing. So to get that touchdown before the half on a little bit of a scramble play really helped us I thought."
Garoppolo's one clear slip-up came when he threw flat-footed in the face of pressure early in the fourth quarter, resulting in a Saints interception.
But, just as he rebounded from an up-and-down performance in his first preseason action of the year, Garoppolo bounced back from the pick and led the Patriots to field goals on consecutive drives to cap a 26-3 scoring run.
"That’s part of being a quarterback," Garoppolo said. "Short memory."