SANTA CLARA, Calif.

Matt Patricia got an early taste of what Jimmy Garoppolo was capable of doing as an NFL quarterback.

As soon as Garoppolo was drafted in the second round by New England in 2014, he got the chance to match wits with Patricia almost every day in practice as Tom Brady’s backup, while Patricia served as defensive coordinator for the Patriots.

The talents Garoppolo showed on the practice field only got better whenever he got a chance to play in a game, whether it was an exhibition, mop-up duty or in two starts during Brady’s suspension in 2016.

So when Garoppolo became a star after being dealt to San Francisco, Patricia wasn’t surprised at all. He will get a firsthand look at it Sunday as coach of the Detroit Lions (0-1), who visit Garoppolo and San Francisco (0-1).

“There was always something a little bit special about Jimmy in-game,” Patricia said. “Just that extra light just came on and in the game itself you could just see really how special he was as a player.”

After winning his two starts with the Patriots, Garoppolo went 5-0 for San Francisco after a midseason trade last year and earned a $137.5 million, five-year contract.

Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — No one is safe from Jalen Ramsey’s trash talk. Not even his grandma.

The Jacksonville Jaguars star cornerback and one of the NFL’s most outspoken personalities said Thursday he “definitely would” hit his grandmother if she lined up against him on the football field.

“To respect the game, you have to play it fierce,” Ramsey said. “I don’t believe in having friends on the field. I mean, my brother, my dad, my mom, grandma was out there, like it’s on. After the game, we can be cool. It doesn’t matter. That’s how I feel, like, you’ve got to respect the game of football.

“Football is not a game meant to be played being nice to each other and all that, like kumbaya. After the game’s over with, that’s cool.”

Ramsey wouldn’t really hit his grandmother, would he?

“No, I definitely would,” he said. “She knows that. My grandma knows that. I love you, but she knows that.”

Ramsey added that granny “might not get up from one of my licks.”

Ramsey is a renowned trash-talker and one of the most competitive guys on the team.

Texans

HOUSTON — J.J. Watt got better as the season opener went on, his first game since breaking his leg last October.

“Whatever it was, knocking rust off in the first half or just getting back up to speed in a full game, but definitely started to feel more like myself in the second half,” Watt said of the loss in New England.

After getting through that game, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is looking to make more of an impact this week when the Texans visit Tennessee.

Although the defensive end was confident he’d be OK last Sunday in his first game since Oct. 8, he admitted it was a relief to go for 70 plays on turf and come out feeling good.

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel loved having Watt back and said his presence makes the entire defense better.

“It’s always exciting to see him in the backfield,” Crennel said. “It’s very helpful because he’s a playmaker. When he makes plays it helps the other guys also, because he lifts everybody up.”

Watt had two tackles and two hits on Tom Brady in Houston’s 27-20 loss to the Patriots. He also came close to getting his first sack since Sept. 18, 2016 before nose tackle D.J. Reader ended up taking down Brady instead for one of his two sacks.