Arizona Cardinals

New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals: Three worries for Patriots fans

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Garoppolo (10) New England Patriots – Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

All New England Patriots fans can acknowledge they have some worries entering tonight’s showdown against the Arizona Cardinals.

Here are the top three New England Patriots-related worries as we pass the time until kickoff.

Patriots Week 1 Worry Number Three: Protecting Jimmy Garoppolo

To some degree, the Patriots are picking up right where they left off in 2015 on the offensive line: injuries. Rampant injuries. Sebastian Vollmer’s absence has been a known quantity for some time now, but the news of Nate Solder and Jonathan Cooper missing the game was pretty disheartening.

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Patriots fans are going to be worried about their inexperienced quarterback getting pressured throughout the game. It’s a very reasonable worry, as Chandler Jones, Markus Golden and Calais Campbell lead a potent Arizona pass rush.

The fact of that matter is that Jimmy Garoppolo has never been in this position before. He is stepping into the one of the most scrutinized quarterback scenarios of the century–the post-Brady Patriots quarterback. He’s going to need all the protection he can get against an energetic Cardinals defense.

Rob Gronkowski (87) New England Patriots – Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 1 Worry Number Two: Less dynamic offense without Rob Gronkowski

With Rob Gronkowski being held out of action tonight, the Patriots’ offense will be less dynamic. That’s just the truth. Gronk is the single most threatening offensive player in the NFL, so naturally, playing without him makes the Pats’ offense a bit easier to defend.

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As a result, Julian Edelman will be the primary pass catcher for the Pats tonight. If anyone is up to the task of adopting a bulk of Gronk’s targets, it’s him. In the red zone, keep an eye on Martellus Bennett and A.J. Derby to be targeted.

It really is a bummer that Gronkowski won’t make his 2016 debut on time. The Pats really could have used his star power to match the Cardinals’ intensity playing at home.

Chris Johnson (23) Arizona Cardinals – Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 1 Worry Number Three: Cardinals’ three-headed backfield monster

We can’t talk about the Cardinals without mentioning their stable of solid running backs.

The list starts with David Johnson, one of the most promising sophomore pros entering 2016. Johnson can do it all: catching, ball carrying, returning, you name it.

And then there’s Chris Johnson, who may not be a spring chicken at this point in his career but the burst is still there. Johnson has been around the NFL for some time and knows the deal.

Furthermore, Andre Ellington can be home run hitter when healthy, giving the Cardinals an excellent No. 3 back. Some writers out there are saying that Ellington and the elder Johnson will combine for 1,000 yards in addition to the younger Johnson racking up 1,000 himself.

As you can see, it is absolutely paramount that the Patriots keep this group in check. Interior defensive linemen Malcom Brown and Alan Branch need to set the tone early for the rest of the defense. Look for Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower to fill gaps from the second level.