Jakobi Meyers and Jimmy Garappolo among expats who thrived in Week 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
While Tom Brady was at Gillette Stadium on Sunday being honored for his legendary career with the New England Patriots, a handful of his former teammates had success in Week 1, with other teams.
Among those former teammates was Brady’s former backup quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolowho made his Las Vegas Raiders will debut on Sunday against the Denver Broncos after six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Among Garoppolo’s targets in Las Vegas is wide receiver Jacob Meyerswho signed a three-year deal with the Raiders this offseason after the Patriots let him walk in free agency.
While Garoppolo and Meyers never met in New England, they wasted no time developing chemistry with the Raiders: Garoppolo’s first touchdown pass in silver and black, under the Las Vegas head coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator , Josh McDaniels, went for the 26-year-old receiver in the first quarter.
However, Garoppolo and Meyers weren’t the only Patriots alumni making an impact in Week 1. Below is a summary of notable performances from former Patriots, which we’ll update throughout the day.
Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback, Raiders
Garoppolo’s first start with the Raiders didn’t come without an injury scare; the 31-year-old quarterback took an illegal hit from Denver’s Justin Simmons on the first Las Vegas trip and had to briefly leave the game for a concussion check.
That allowed another ex-patriot, Brian Hoyerto enter the game for two plays, but Garoppolo returned before finding Meyers for a score.
Jimmy G wasn’t perfect: He threw an interception in the red zone and passed for just 200 yards, but he completed 20 of 26 passes and helped seal Las Vegas’ 17-16 victory with a first down on third down. and-7.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Raiders
Meyers was the Patriots’ top receiver and McDaniels called plays for two consecutive seasons, and the Raiders head coach appears to have big plans for his new receiver in Las Vegas.
Meyers was all over the field in his Raiders debut, catching nine of 10 targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns, all team highs. Meyers’ second score of the day (a 6-yard reception on a slant route) turned out to be the winning touchdown in the Raiders’ narrow victory.
Meyers was on the receiving end of a nasty blow with just under three minutes remaining in regulation time. He left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return. Still, his Week 1 performance was impressive, especially compared to the Patriots’ newest wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schusterwho essentially replaced Meyers by signing a three-year deal with New England this offseason.
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Patriots part ways with Folk in favor of rookie kicker Chad Rylandbut the 38-year-old clearly still has a lot left in the tank.
Folk was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field on Sunday, scoring all 15 of the Titans’ points in their 16-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He made two field goals of 45 yards or longer with a long of 50 and essentially kept Tennessee in the game with his leg.
Your move, Chad.