Game Rewind: The Patriots were a mixed bag in their 19-17 win over the Panthers. The quarterbacks were the story. Tom Brady made his pre-season debut and looked O.K. Jimmy Garappolo finally struggled and Jacoby Brissett was perfect. The defense was once again good and they are starting to look like an elite unit. Here are my five takeaways from last night’s game.

1. Tom Was Terrific on Two Throws: Brady only finished 3-9 for 76 yards and a touchdown but his first pass was a 37 yard completion to Aaron Dobson and he later threw a 33 yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan. If you were worried that Brady might be rusty, don’t be. He looked good despite not playing since the NFC Championship game. He’s the GOAT. He’ll be fine.

2. Jimmy G Gets a Realty Check: Jimmy G isn’t in Kansas anymore. Garappolo struggled going 9-15 for 57 yards. He had a hard time navigating around Carolina’s pass rush and he locked onto receivers. Should Patriots fans panic? No, but he’ll need to play much better two weeks from now in the season opener. 

3. The Defense Looks Elite: The defense once again played well forcing three Carolina turnovers. Forget about the Patriots having a top ten unit defensively. This defense has the look of a top five unit. They will keep the Patriots in a lot of games this season.  

4. Brissett is Perfect: Rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett was a perfect 9-9 for 85 yards and a touchdown. Brissett looked calm in the pocket, hung in and delivered the ball on time. He is getting more comfortable with the offense and that’s a good thing for the Patriots. 

5. The Ground Game Struggles: The Patriots ran the ball 27 times for 81 yards. The highlight of New England’s rushing attack was a LeGarrette Blount leap on his longest run of the night. It was not a good night for a running game that needs to be productive, especially the first four weeks.