Momma said there'd be days like this.
The New England Patriots were reminded Thursday of the wide chasm between the Super Bowl MVP and the quarterback who will open the season under center while Tom Brady serves his four-game suspension.
Against a secondary no longer featuring its top three cornerbacks from a year ago, backup Jimmy Garoppolo uncorked a whopping five interceptions.
Four of those picks came in the all-important two-minute drill. For comparison purposes, the Boston Herald marked Brady as 14-of-15 with one drop in the same drill.
The team's official website noted that Garoppolo struggled with "slow reads, balls thrown behind intended targets, late throws and turnovers."
It's not realistic to expect a greenhorn Garoppolo to match Brady, who has made an art out of the two-minute drill in recent years. It's also unfair to overemphasize poor play in one session out of an entire offseason.
That said, Thursday's practice is a reminder that the Patriots are at a considerable competitive disadvantage without their most valuable player in September.
Here's what else we learned in Thursday's OTAs:
- The quarterback winds are shifting again in Philadelphia. It appeared last week that Sam Bradford's surgically repaired knee might not be strong enough to hold off Mark Sanchez this summer. Now offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur insists the Eagles are "very confident" that Bradford will be "ready to go when it's time to play for real."
- One day after Jordan Matthews noted that Byron Maxwell was kicking his butt in practice, defensive coordinator Billy Davis suggested the former Seahawks cornerback could shadow opposing No. 1 receivers this season.
- The Saints already have a concern on their revamped defense. Top pass rusher Junior Galette is reportedly considering surgery after injuring his pectoral muscle. If he goes under the knife, Galette could be sidelined as long as five or six months.
- On the other side of the ball, young wide receivers Seantavius Jones and Brandon Coleman continue to gain notice as potential contributors behind Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks. For the second straight week, beat writers highlighted the duo as standout performers in practice.
- As expected, Rams first-round pick Todd Gurley was limited to working on the side Thursday. Recovering from ACL surgery, Gurley is still "a ways away from practicing," per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- To the surprise of no one in Oakland, new Cowboys running back Darren McFadden is already fighting off tweaks and twinges. A hamstring strain limited McFadden to his own side work Thursday.
- Rookie running back Ameer Abdullah has an opportunity to impress Lions coaches with Joique Bell sidelined. Bell is still recovering from offseason surgeries to his Achilles and knee.
- Returning to his first practice since breaking his foot last November, Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson caught coach Gus Bradley's eye. "Sometimes you come back from an injury like that and you wonder about the confidence level," Bradley said. "He's playing with a lot of confidence ... He has some ownership and he's going to take advantage of his opportunities."
- Jets director of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger on landing defensive end Leonard Williams with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft: "It was like getting your favorite Christmas present when you walk down the stairs on the 25th of December."
- Ravens coach John Harbaugh insisted Wednesday that he's not counting out a rehabbing Dennis Pitta this season. The team's official Twitter feed posted a video Thursday of Pitta running, cutting, blocking and receiving in individual drills.
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