USA TODAY International Edition
Brissett shows he’s long- term answer
It’s time to start taking the Colts seriously. As we do, it’s time to start looking at Jacoby Brissett through different lenses.
Matched up with the AFC South rival Texans on Sunday, Brissett produced a career day while directing the Colts to a 30- 23 victory that moved them into first place in the division.
Brissett threw for 326 yards and four TDs, both career highs, for a passer rating of 126.7. With that performance, he showed he’s more than a place- holder while the Colts figure out how to move on from the abrupt end of the Andrew Luck era.
Brissett proved he’s the answer at quarterback because he can win big games with his arm and his wits.
It became immediately clear on Sunday that Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s plan consisted of stacking the box to stop Colts running back Marlon Mack. For Indianapolis to have a chance, Brissett was going to have to assume a heavy workload.
Accepting the challenge, Colts coach Frank Reich put the ball in Brissett’s hands, and the fourth- year passer responded with his second 300- yard day of the season and the third of his career.
“Jacoby played lights out,” Reich told reporters on Sunday. “We said if we’re gonna win this game, we’re gonna have to come up big in the pass game. We talked about that last night as an offense that we needed to make plays in the pass game to win this game, and we did that. And Jacoby led the way.”
With 14 TD passes, Brissett is now only one behind the league leaders despite having played one fewer game.
Brissett might have turned heads on Sunday, but no one within the Colts organization was surprised by his latest performance.
Although Luck’s retirement sent shock waves throughout the league, panic did not grip the Colts.
Brissett already had earned teammates’ respect with the resilience he displayed filling in for Luck during the 2017 season. And while Brissett operated as the starter with Luck rehabbing again this past offseason and training camp, teammates appreciated the way he works, the confidence with which he carries himself and the progress he steadily made.
“It helped a lot that he had all the reps and was able to get accustomed to all the play calls in the offseason,” wide receiver T. Y. Hilton told USA TODAY Sports in a recent interview.
The 4- 12 record from that 2017 campaign didn’t represent Brissett’s ceiling, and those losses weren’t all his fault. Brissett naturally had growing pains to work through as a first- time starter and second- year pro. But Indianapolis’ roster at that time was not as well- rounded as it is now.
“This is the best roster the Colts have ever had,” Hilton said.
Now that he has greater support, a matured Brissett is better able to showcase his skills while affirming the beliefs of those within his organization and earning respect around the league.
Teammate Justin Houston told reporters that Brissett is not a game manager but rather a game changer.
Now in back- to- back games, Brissett has helped lead the Colts to statement wins over 2018 playoff teams after vanquishing the Chiefs last week. Given Brissett’s steady progression, Reich’s strengths as a game planner and the well- rounded roster, Indianapolis has good reason to believe the team can contend with any other in the league.