Jacoby Brissett reflected on his time with the Patriots

Patriots Jacoby Brissett reflected on his time with the Patriots: ‘Good memories for me’ The Browns quarterback spent the 2016-17 season with New England, going 1-1 in two starts. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick high fives Jacoby Brissett during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Jim Rogash/Getty Images
As the Patriots prepare to travel to Cleveland for Sunday’s matchup, an old friend will be waiting for them.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was drafted by New England in the third round in 2016, and spent the 2016-17 season with the Patriots. He appeared in three games for New England, making two starts in the wake of Tom Brady’s “Deflategate” suspension and an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.
Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts just prior to the 2017-18 season, but reflected positively on the time he spent in New England.
“A lot of good memories,” Brissett told the media on Wednesday, as transcribed by the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling. “I got my first start there … some of the guys there are still on the team, so I know those guys. Obviously, great coaches. Good players, good vets, good guys who understand the system that they’ve been running for a while …”
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“I got a chance to play,” Brissett continued. “Won a Super Bowl, so, good memories for me.”
The Patriots’ current circumstances at quarterback, with third-stringer Bailey Zappe being pressed into action, are not all that different from the 2016-17 season – something that is not lost on Brissett.
“Obviously I’m friends with some of the guys on the team, so I’m following [New England’s quarterback situation] a little bit and seeing their third guy end up playing some games and winning, and so it brought back a couple of memories for sure,” Brissett said.
Patriots safety Devin McCourty also drew parallels between the two situations, saying that Brissett being forced to start was, “Very similar to last week with [Bailey] Zappe coming in and playing big for us.”
McCourty said that he still talks to Brissett “a good amount,” and is happy to see him getting an opportunity in Cleveland.
“Just to see him having some success and getting another opportunity to go lead a football team has been cool to see,” McCourty told reporters.
He also praised Brissett’s abilities on the field, noting that the New England defense will “have our work cut out.”
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“One of the biggest things is – he’s not a great athlete even though he’ll tell you he’s a great basketball player – he does a great job of not getting sacked, breaking tackles, being elusive.”
Head coach Bill Belichick was also complimentary of his former quarterback.
“[Brissett] is a big kid with a strong arm. He’s tough and he’s smart – he does a good job with the system that they’re running,” Belichick pointed out. “He does a good job with it and doesn’t turn the ball over. He gets some scramble yards and gets the ball to [his receivers].”
Come Sunday, Brissett will be looking to use his familiarity with the Patriots’ system to his advantage.
“I have some understanding of the defense,” he said. “Obviously, it’s been a couple years since I’ve been there, and yeah, hopefully it pays off a little bit.”