FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Jacoby Brissett inherited a 21-point lead -- and good field position -- when he made his NFL debut.If he makes his first career start against the Houston Texans on Thursday night, things will be a bit more difficult.The New England Patriots third-stringer was forced into action on Sunday when Jimmy Garoppolo injured his throwing shoulder in the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins.With starter Tom Brady serving a four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal, Brissett would be the No. 1 QB against Houston if Garoppolo cant return from his right shoulder injury in time.Hes a smart young kid, receiver Danny Amendola said on Monday, a day after Brissett came on in relief and helped the Patriots seal a 31-24 victory over the Dolphins.I know he hasnt been in the NFL for a long time, but he seems to grasp what we are trying to do.A 23-year-old rookie who was a third-round pick in this years draft, Brissett completed 6 of 9 passes for 92 yards against the Dolphins.The Patriots relied heavily on the run late in the game, though they were also trying to nurse a lead that grew to 24-0 before Brissett even completed his first NFL pass.It wasnt an easy situation, but he did a good job with it, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on Monday.Brissetts promotion is certainly short-lived: Either Garoppolo gets better quickly and finishes off Bradys suspension as the starter, or Brissett handles things until Week 5, when Brady is eligible to return.Neither Belichick nor offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would comment on their plans.But Brissett knows he needs to be ready.The quarterback -- hes going to prepare for the game the same way, regardless of whether hes going to start the game or not, Belichick said. You could take a defensive back and say ... `Were only going to use you in this situation. But you cant do that with a quarterback.Although Belichick has proclaimed that Brady will get the job back when he returns, Garoppolo was expected to use the four-game suspension as a tryout.At 39, Brady could retire or wear down without notice, so having an heir in waiting could help the Patriots continue of the most successful dynasties in NFL history.Garoppolo was impressive during his brief stint: He beat Arizona in the opener and completed 18 of 27 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns in 25 minutes against Miami.But he lasted fewer than six quarters before Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso slammed him to the turf and knocked him out of the game in Week 2.Brissett took over at the Miami 21 and handed the ball off twice before throwing an incompletion; the Patriots kicked a field goal to make it 24-0.He presided over a three-and-out just before the half, but led New England to a touchdown on its first possession of the second, completing all four pass attempts on the drive, for 73 yards.Jacobys a rookie that doesnt have any game experience, and yet when he went into the game ... he had good poise and composure and managed the situation well initially, McDaniels said.And then (we) had an opportunity to talk at halftime about some things that we wanted to do in the second half and I thought he took advantage of his opportunities.Like every quarterback whos a young player, youre going to learn things as you play and perform in regular-season games that youve never had an opportunity to experience. (Im) hoping that -- not only Jacoby, but a lot of our young players that played for the first time or the second time have an opportunity to really grow.---AP NFL website:
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https://twitter.com/AP-NFL .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. FRISCO, Texas -- Maximiliano Urruti scored twice and Mauro Diaz had a goal and three assists to help FC Dallas beat the New England Revolution 4-2 on Tuesday night for the U.S. Open Cup title.Dallas won its first Open Cup championship since 1997 -- which was under its previous name of the Burn -- to earn a spot in the 2017 CONCACAF Champions League.Urruti tied it at 1 in the 15th minute. He settled Diazs cross with his left foot and one-touched it home with his right. Matt Hedges made it 2-1 in the 40th. A corner kick was deflected outside the 18-yard box and Diazs chip found the head of Hedges.Diaz put Dallas in front 3-1 when he rolled a penalty kick under Chris Seitzs arm in first-half stoppage time.dddddddddddd Urruti finished a breakaway in the 61st for a 4-1 lead.New Englands Juan Agudelo opened the scoring in the sixth minute. After a Dallas turnover deep in its own end, Gershon Koffie played a through ball and Agudelo spun his defender to send a shot into the back of the net. Agudelo tapped home a deflected cross in the 73rd.It was a rematch of the 2007 final, which New England won 3-2 in the same stadium. ' ' '
