New England Patriots

Ripple effects from New England Patriots Week 1 win

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

foxsports

Julian Edelman (11) New England Patriots – Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots beating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 sent ripple effects throughout the league.

Let’s take a look at three of the largest ripple effects from the Week 1 New England Patriots win.

3. Patriots stand alone atop AFC East.

There’s only been one Sunday, but the Patriots already have a significant lead in the AFC East.

The New York Jets lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Miami Dolphins fell to the Seattle Seahawks. The Buffalo Bills got the short end of the stick in a defensive stalemate against the Baltimore Ravens.

By virtue of winning last night, the Patriots got out of the gate early. If this was a track race, the Pats would have gotten off their blocks with gusto while the Jets, Dolphins and Bills tripped up.

But this is a long race, so the Patriots had better stay focused. Next up is a big divisional battle with the Dolphins in New England, which will be Jimmy Garoppolo’s first home start.

Speaking of Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo (11) New England Patriots – Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jimmy Garoppolo standing tall.

The most relieved man in the world last night was Garoppolo. Think about it: the stress and nerves Garoppolo must have been experiencing leading up to kickoff is gone. He has his first NFL start under his belt, as well as his first NFL win. Garoppolo slept soundly last night, that much we know.

Look, Garoppolo is more or less in the midst of a job interview. A job interview that is not just for the Patriots, mind you; the entire NFL is watching. After one game, Garoppolo is standing tall. His only blunder was a lost fumble; other than that, Garoppolo was solid, completing nearly three-fourths of his passes and connecting for a pair of touchdowns.

Looking ahead, Patriots fans will get their eyes on Garoppolo in more ways than one; the Patriots’ next three games are at home. How Garoppolo performs in Foxboro will be interesting to watch.

Chris Hogan (15) New England Patriots – Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

1. This team looks scary good.

The Cardinals were supposed to be an incredibly tall order for a Patriots team playing without both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, as well as franchise left tackle Nate Solder and starting right guard Jonathan Cooper. But an energetic, physical Cardinals team wasn’t able to derail the Patriots, even at home.

Look, if the Patriots are this good without four of their 11 offensive starters, just think how good they could be by Week 8 or 9 when Brady, Gronk, Solder and Cooper have been back in the fold and the roster as a whole is more cohesive. The word “scary” certainly comes to mind.

This is a very exciting team to watch right now. There is no shortage of analysis points, so keep your eyes peeled on Musket Fire this week as we bring you fresh Patriots thoughts to munch on.