The New England Patriots’ offense has not exactly looked sharp in the first quarter of tonight’s preseason game against the New York Giants. Turnover, uneven offensive line play, miscommunications – you name it.
Not all was bad, though. The team had a solid drive to take the lead; a drive, that also included one of the better offensive plays of the game: an absolute strike from quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The Brady-Edelman connection is well documented. Edelman is Brady’s go-to-guy and one of the better receivers in the NFL due to his quickness, short-area speed and smarts. Brady, on the other hand, knows a) that he can trust Edelman to make tough catches and b) exactly where to put the ball to give his intended target the best chance to make the catch.
This play is no exception. Brady, with the offensive line giving him just enough time, quickly found Edelman on the right-side hash mark for a first down and a 20-yard gain. The Patriots’ number one wideout did a nice job of holding onto the ball despite getting hit immediately.
Hopefully, the Garoppolo-Edelman connection will be similarly successful the first four weeks of the season – before the Brady-Edelman show returns.