FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick continues to stress that the team's organized team activities are based in teaching, not competition, and Thursday's session should provide some good teaching-based material for second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Specifically, Garoppolo had some rocky moments in the end-of-practice, 11-on-11, hurry-up offense, firing four interceptions. He also had a pick over the middle in 11-on-11 drills earlier in the OTA.
A cause for concern?
Hardly. It's June, and of course, Garoppolo is still learning the ropes.
But after coming away impressed with Garoppolo in last Friday's OTA, his work in Thursday's practice wasn't as convincing.
The interceptions were part of it -- although at least one of them in the hurry-up came when the play appeared to be dead and several players had essentially pulled up -- as was one 11-on-11 sequence in which the coaches called for things to be re-set because of a breakdown at some point between the play call, alignment and motion before the snap.
Part of becoming a successful quarterback is having a short memory and putting bad plays in the rear-view mirror.
In a teaching-based environment, this is one of the big takeaways with Garoppolo on Thursday.
