Jacoby Brissett shuns ‘redemption’ arc, delivers in relief for Patriots on Sunday
"It was just believing in myself, sticking to what I know is right, that I can play in this league."
FOXBOROUGH — Jacoby Brissett didn’t mince words during his last address with the media earlier this month.
“It’s tough. I don’t think words can really describe how tough it is,” Brissett said on Oct. 10 after getting benched as New England’s starting QB.
Initially brought in as a veteran bridge starter and mentor to rookie Drake Maye, Brissett’s tenure as the Patriots’ QB1 lasted just five weeks.
After the Patriots averaged a league-low 119.4 passing yards per contest over the stretch, Maye leapfrogged Brissett on the depth chart — banishing the 31-year-old signal caller to the sideline.
“I’ve been through hard things in my life. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I go through something hard,” Brissett said at the time. “So, I’ll be alright.”
It didn’t take long for the next hurdle to hit both Brissett and the Patriots.
And with New England reeling amid a game-ending concussion suffered by Maye, Brissett delivered on Sunday afternoon against the Jets.
Pressed into action for a majority of Sunday’s matchup at Gillette Stadium, Brissett helped New England secure its first win since Sept. 8 — leading his team on three scoring drives in the second half en route to a dramatic 25-22 win.
“Jacoby is just a proven vet, a guy that’s been around and played a lot of football,” tight end Hunter Henry said of Brissett. “Obviously played a lot of games with us this year, and has had to sit the last couple of weeks.
“But he’s always ready, man. And for him to step up and lead a big drive in the game was huge, and I was super happy to go out there and compete with him.”
Brissett’s final stat line (15-of-24 for 132 yards, zero touchdowns,) may not leap off the page. But the savvy vet made the plays when needed to help New England hand a loss to a talented (albeit underachieving) Jets roster.
“Fighting through adversity — you know, we got challenged earlier this week, the guys came out and responded well,” Brissett noted. “And obviously, being able to come into the game, and the guys rallied around me and helped make plays.
“We obviously pushed through at the end to score to win, I think that was the encompassing of a lot of things throughout the season — just hoping this is a snowball effect and we start something special.”
The early returns were ominous for New England’s offense with the keys handed back to Brissett. Once Maye left the field for good in the second quarter, Brissett and Co. went 3-and-out on their first drive.
Their second drive? Even with two timeouts still available with two minutes left in the half, New England opted for a pair of runs and a QB sneak to close out the second quarter.
With New England’s most dynamic playmaker in Maye (three rushes, 46 yards, one touchdown) ruled out, the Patriots could have stuck with a conservative approach the rest of the way with Brissett under center.
But the Patriots responded down the stretch on offense with Brisset leading the way. Beyond playing mistake-free football with zero turnovers, Brissett methodically moved his team down the field in the second half.
New England put points on the board on three of its five drives in the second half, starting with a five-play, 26-yard sequence in the third that ended with Rhamondre Stevenson pushing into the end zone from three yards out.
That short drive was a direct result of a 62-yard punt return from Marcus Jones, putting New England on the Jets’ 26 to start things off.
But New England’s two scoring drives in the fourth quarter saw the Patriots tack on points via 26 plays and 116 total yards of offense.
After Joey Slye gave New England a slim 17-16 lead in the fourth off a 23-yard field goal, the Jets responded with a 70-yard drive of their own. By the time Jets running back Braelon Allen tumbled into the end zone, New York had regained a 22-17 lead with 3:00 left on the clock.
New England’s offense under Brissett was regularly marred by red-zone woes and a dearth of explosive plays. At least, such was the sentiment before Sunday.
Brissett and the Patriots marched down the field in short order as the seconds ticked off the clock, converting on a pair of critical third-down plays to push the ball right on the Jets’ doorstep.
On a 3rd-and-9 situation from New England’s own 43, Brissett reeled off a 14-yard scramble (New England’s third-longest run of the afternoon) to move the chains.
Just three plays later — and with pressure staring him square in the face off a DB blitz) — Brissett stepped up and delivered a strike to Kayshon Boutte, hitting the wideout for a 34-yard pickup that brought the ball to the nine-yard line.
Just four plays later, Stevenson landed into the end zone to give New England the lead for good.
In a season largely loaded with misery, Brissett handed New England some semblance of optimism — even if it came as a result of a concussion for the team’s franchise fixture in Maye.
But Brissett shunned all talk of Sunday’s comeback serving as a fitting “redemption” arc after getting benched earlier this month.
“I don’t look at it as no redemption. I think this is a testament to me believing in myself and not y’all,” Brissett said. “I’m very aware of that. I was very fortunate to have this opportunity. To go out there and get a win with our guys, it was sweet. You can’t put it into words. I’m not trying to, like, be arrogant or nothing, but I’m very proud of myself today.”
Sunday’s win won’t reverse Brissett’s standing on New England’s depth chart (at least once Maye is cleared from concussion protocol).
But regardless of his reps for the remainder of the 2024 season, Brissett doesn’t expect his belief to waver.
“It was just believing in myself, sticking to what I know is right, that I can play in this league,” Brissett said of his approach on Sunday. “I don’t look at it as anything else but that. Like I said, just believing in myself and going out there and doing what I know I can do on a day-in, day-out process, basis. These were the results.
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