With a Facebook post, Tom Brady quit fighting. He unbuckled his armor of righteousness, put down his flaming sword of vengeance, thanked everyone who supported him, and accepted Roger Goodell's four-game suspension.But while New England Patriots fans weep bitter tears over their hero not taking his fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and analysts predict fire and brimstone raining down over the first four weeks of the Patriots schedule, the Jimmy Garoppolo Era has begun in earnest.Comparing a relative unknown like Garoppolo to a legend like Brady is impossible (even if we do know there'll be a seamless transition when it comes to GQ covers).The Eastern Illinois product was difficult to evaluate even before he was on the Patriots roster; he ran a quick-release spread offense in college against Ohio Valley Conference defenses. Not blessed with a big frame (6'2", 226 pounds), big numbers, or big hype, Garoppolo's ability to read defenses quickly and get rid of the ball had plenty of teams looking in his direction.Some excellent performances in the 2014 preseason raised expectations for Garoppolo; the threat of this suspension coming in 2015 raised the stakes. He didn't deliver when given nearly an entire game against the Green Bay Packers in preseason—but leading second-stringers against second-stringers, Garoppolo again looked like a gifted passer (and clutch performer).The Patriots' third-round rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett is a clear signal that Garoppolo not only doesn't have the Quarterback of the Future title locked up; he might not even have a death grip on these four games. But whether Garoppolo is auditioning to keep holding Brady's clipboard or to go somewhere else Matt Cassel-style, Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels have the offensive acumen and pass-catching talent to make it easy for No. 10 to succeed.After all, Brady himself was once a player without a big frame, a big arm, or big hype, and he played well within a system that didn't ask him to win games all by himself.Belichick, the NFL's best week-to-week matchup architect, should have no problem wringing two or three wins out of these first four games—just like he had no problem wringing 11 wins out of Cassel in 2008.Photo by Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
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