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Jimmy Garoppolo Press Conference Transcript 9/14

Patriots Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo addresses the media during his press conference at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

Q: How much film have you watched this week of last year's regular season finale against the Dolphins?

JG: I've watched it. We've done our homework on them and we're getting rolling through the week now.  

Q: Bill Belichick stressed the importance of needing to be more competitive against the Dolphins than the last time you played them.

JG: Yeah, no doubt. They came out and gave us a good game. They gave us some trouble and there are things that we'll have to clear up. 

Q: How good is their defense?

JG: Yeah, that front seven, they're very talented. As good of a front as we'll see - we have to do a good job of handling them and we'll go from there.  

Q: What are your impressions of Reshad Jones at safety?

JG: Good player, real good player. He's very instinctive; he's always around the ball. One of those guys we're going to have to account for and take care of.    

Q: After Sunday's win, is it a little bit of a challenge not to get too high this week?

JG: No, Sunday's over with. We're already into the Dolphins. We've been into the Dolphins for the last couple of days now, so it's a new challenge and it's a new week. That's the season for you.  

Q: How do you avoid getting too high after a big win?

JG: I think the atmosphere in the building - the coaching staff does a good job of keeping us level-headed, so it's just a 'never too high, never too low' kind of thing. It's just on to the next week. It's a long season so you just have to keep moving on. 

Q: How quickly do you move on to the next week's preparation - did you start looking at film on the plane ride home Sunday night?

JG: Yeah, we watched the Arizona game on the flight home and then pretty much got into Miami. There wasn't a lot of sleep, but that's what it calls for when you do those long trips like that. 

Q: Is Miami's front longer than a lot of the teams you've played in the past?

JG: Yeah, they definitely have some length to them. Overall, up front they're very talented. They do a lot of things well and it's going to be a good challenge for us this week.  We have to do what we do and handle them. 

Q: How excited are you to get your first start in front of a home crowd?

JG: It's going to be exciting, real exciting. It's another good opportunity, just have to go out there and perform. 

*Q: How much of a priority will it be to get rid of the ball quickly against the Miami defense this week? *

JG: It's going to be important. You don't want to hold it back there, especially against these guys. They're talented, they get off the ball fast and everything, so the more you hold it, the more trouble we'll be in. We just have to do a good job of playing our game. 

Q: Have you had any social calls with Tom Brady?

JG: No.   

Q: What have you learned from Rob Gronkowski just from seeing him in practice during his rehab?

JG: His locker is right next to mine, so I've been learning from Rob [Gronkowski] since I came in here. Whatever it may be, he's a great guy and a great leader of this team and he's going to help us.    

Q: Are you prepared to make adjustments to the offense if Rob Gronkowski comes back this week?

JG: Yeah, we never know who we have or we don't have so we kind of just have to react to it, and whoever Coach [Bill] Belichick puts out there, that's who we have to play with. 

Q: How have you handled the attention that's come your way since Sunday?

JG: Yeah, answering texts and stuff like that is always tough but for the most part, we're just going about our business as usual. 

Q: How much have you grown in being able to look off safeties and not get baited into throws?

JG: I feel like I'm going in the right direction. That's kind of the game within the game type of thing; they're playing games with you, you're playing games back, and you just have to be smart about it. [Reshad Jones], like I said before, is a very smart player, a very instinctive player, so we just have to be smart with him.   

Q: What did it mean to you for Bill Belichick to compliment you after Sunday's win?

JG: It's nice. In that moment after the game, everybody's emotions are running very high at that time, so it's always good to hear that from the head coach and you take those when you get them. 

Q: Is it going to be harder to go back to being the backup after having success as a starter?

JG: I don't know. We'll cross that when we get there, I guess. For now, it is what it is. 

Q: What is the fine line between taking the confidence and the building blocks from Week 1 into Week 2 even though it's a new game?

JG: Yeah, it is a fine line. No question about it. You don't want to be riding that wave because then you'll fall behind on the next team, Miami for us. It's a good thing that we got the confidence, but that's about it. You don't want to think about it too much because you'll get stuck in the past, and that's not a good thing in this league. 

Q: Is there anyone outside of the team and coaching staff who keeps you level-headed?

JG: Just kind of my family as a whole. Growing up with two older brothers, especially, they'll let you know real quick what you did wrong and what you can improve on. Just kind of the upbringing, I guess. That really helps out.  

Q: Did you hear from anybody after the game that you weren't expecting to - celebrities, rock stars, actresses?

JG: You said actresses kind of specifically there. But no, nothing crazy. Some people I haven't talked to in years, but it was a lot of texts. 

Q: You played in last year's game at Miami, how much do you take from that film having actually been on the field against this team?

JG: Not a ton. I think it was three plays or something like that, so not a ton. 

Q: Did that help you get a feel for anything coming into this week?

JG: I mean, a little bit, but that's a completely different circumstance. Hopefully, we're not in that situation this year. 

Q: Are the divisional games different for you in terms of knowing these teams better and knowing their importance?

JG: Yeah, they're important. They count more in the standings. At the end of the year, you're going to look at the division games and they're important ones. We're not taking this game lightly at all. It's a great team, and we've got to go out there and perform. 

Q: Your first couple of passes went straight to Julian Edelman on Sunday; would you say he's kind of your main guy?

JG: I think the offense as a whole - we knew going into the Arizona game that everybody was going to have to make plays. It wasn't just going to be a one man show. That's just the way we had to play that game, so it was just everybody doing their part at the right time.  

Q: Any funny texts from your brothers after that game?

JG: Nothing specific, just humbling texts I guess.

Q: What are your thoughts on Cameron Wake?

JG: A good player, very good. Coming off the injury from last year against us, we've got to take care of him in the pass game and the run game. Whenever he's in there, we've just got to be aware of it. 

Q: What did you mean by humbling texts from your brothers, you would think texts after a big win would be building you up?

JG: You ever grow up with three brothers? No, they were supportive too. They're the best.

Q: Do you want to share what they cut you down about?

JG: Personal texts, you know. 

Q: When coming out on to the field before a home game, Tom Brady runs down to the opposite end zone and gets the fans pumped up - do you have anything planned for Sunday?

JG: We'll see on Sunday.

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