FOXBORO — The inevitability of Jacoby Brissett’s Week 6 benching didn’t make it any easier for the veteran quarterback to take.
“I don’t think words can really describe how tough it is,” Brissett lamented after the Patriots chose to sit him and hand the reins of their offense to rookie Drake Maye. He watched from the sideline as Maye showed promise in a pair of lopsided losses, begrudgingly accepting his new spot in New England’s QB hierarchy.
Then Sunday happened.
In the second quarter of a home matchup with the Jets, Maye took a shot to the back of the head from New York linebacker Jamien Sherwood. Minutes later, he was in the sideline medical tent, then being escorted back toward the locker room, then ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion.
Suddenly, Brissett was QB1 again, looking to lead the Patriots to their first win since the season opener after a chaotic week of drama and dysfunction in Foxboro.
“We need Jacoby to take us to the promised land,” head coach Jerod Mayo told CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala at halftime.
Brissett delivered, guiding New England on a 12-play, 70-yard, game-winning drive capped by a 1-yard Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown with 22 seconds remaining. The late score gave the Patriots a 25-22 victory over the heavily favored Jets, their first at Gillette Stadium since Oct. 22, 2023.
“It was just believing in myself, sticking to what I know is right, that I can play in this league,” Brissett said. “I don’t look at it as anything else but that. 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.”
The Patriots’ offense was not especially consistent with Brissett behind center. On four of his seven possessions, they gained fewer than 10 yards, including one at the end of the first half that featured three straight handoffs aimed at running out the clock.
His other three drives, though, all produced points: a truncated 26-yard touchdown drive following a big-play punt return by Marcus Jones; a 14-play, 46-yard slog that produced a fourth-quarter field goal; and the final decisive march, which helped the Patriots overcome their third blown fourth-quarter lead of the season.
Brissett completed 15 of 24 passes for 132 yards with no turnovers. Patriots receivers dropped three of his throws — after doing the same on two of Maye’s — but Brissett’s accuracy also wavered at times, causing him to miss a couple of open targets.
“I thought Jacoby was ready to go,” Mayo said postgame. “Was it perfect? No. But at the same time, I thought the operation was good. I thought he made some good throws. We’ve just got to continue to build on that.”
Brissett’s best throw of the afternoon set up Stevenson’s go-ahead score. Facing third-and-10 with 1:34 remaining, the 31-year-old journeyman faced down an unblocked safety blitz and fired a 34-yard strike to Kayshon Boutte. Boutte, who was responsible for two of New England’s five drops in the game, made a sliding catch to set the Patriots up at the Jets’ 9-yard line.
“Kayshon made a great play,” Brissett said. “I felt like I underthrew it. As soon as it came off my hand, I was like, ‘Damn.’ He made an unbelievable play, a play that we needed at that time. The safety had tilted the opposite way, away from the X, where Kayshon was lined up. He did the rest. I was a mere speck on the play.”
Subsequent short completions to Stevenson and Boutte brought the ball inches from the goal line, and Stevenson was able to punch it in on fourth-and-goal.
Teammates praised Brissett for his poise and command of the huddle after his relief appearance.
“Being a veteran QB, you would expect that,” tight end Austin Hooper said. “When he got in the huddle, he was like, ‘All right, everybody take a deep breath (pause). All right, let’s go to work.’ There’s chaos going on, (and) he never wavers. That’s why he’s a team captain.”
Receiver Kendrick Bourne added: “He did a great job. He just responded well. It’s hard going to the bench. You never know when your name is going to be called again. Coming in poised, he knows the plays, and he just did a good job of taking leadership.”
With how promising Maye has looked early in his NFL career, Brissett will return to backup duty once the No. 3 overall draft pick gets healthy. Maye played well Sunday before his injury, rushing for a 17-yard touchdown in the first quarter and delivering two well-placed downfield throws that his receivers dropped.
According to Mayo, Maye tried to come back into the game after his injury but was told he needed to go through the league’s concussion protocol.
“Can’t wait to get him back,” the coach said.
It sometimes takes players multiple weeks to clear concussion protocol, however, so Brissett could see another starting opportunity next Sunday against the 1-6 Tennessee Titans.
“I don’t look at it as no redemption,” Brissett said of Sunday’s win. “I think this is a testament to me believing in myself and not y’all. 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.”
