The New England Patriots got a first look at what life will be like without Tom Brady for the first four games of the regular season. While Brady did take seven snaps as the starter against the Green Bay Packers in the first preseason game of the year, it was Jimmy Garoppolo that had everyone's attention as the backup quarterback would be making his first star come Week 1. While he certainly struggled at times, there were some positives that came out of his and the rest of the team's performance.

Garoppolo finished the night going 20 for 30 for 159 yards and one interception. He entered the game with just a few seconds remaining in the first quarter and never looked back. The Patriots only managed 11 points in the game, something that will be overly analyzed all week. Garoppolo admits he had some ups and downs in the game, but is confident improvement will come.

"There were ups and downs," Garoppolo said, via ESPN.com. "We've got a long way to go, obviously. Eleven points isn't by any means good enough. There's room for improvement."

The main game plan for the Patriots was to focus on shorter passes and the run game with Garoppolo under center. That helped a lot of players stand out in a good way including two running backs fighting to make the roster. With LeGarrette Blount expected to be out the first game due to suspension, both Jonas Gray and James White made their presence known during the first preseason game.

With both Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley gone in free agent, the door is wide open for running backs in New England. White made the most of his opportunities, looking like a valuable replacement to the pass-catching Vereen. White played on 44 snaps on Thursday night and finished with four catches for 52 yards. His performance was big for Garoppolo who was working the short game more than the long.

"It was a great feeling. Good to get out there with my teammates and compete against another team," White said, via ESPN Boston. "Every running back has to be able to do it; if you can't pass protect, you're not going to be in there. So you better take pride in it and keep getting better at it."

The Patriots are looking for versatility in the run game. Gray was also a standout in the first preseason game after a breakout performance last year. He had the highlight of the game with a 55-yard touchdown run. Gray told the media that he worked hard in the offseason to lose weight in order to make sure the Indianapolis Colts game was no fluke.

"One thing I wanted to do [this offseason], and coaches stressed to me, was being able to beat guys in the open field and taking those 10-yard runs and making them 20-yard runs; making the first guy miss," Gray said, via ESPN.com. "The maturation of a player. [It's] being a veteran, taking my experience from last year and being better this year."

The Patriots still have a lot of work to put in before the regular season. Garoppolo is the man in charge until the NFL makes a ruling on Brady and he certainly did not show enough in Game 1.