Indianapolis Colts: Jacoby Brissett proving he’s the right guy

After three weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have seen nothing but good things from Jacoby Brissett, proving that he is the guy the Colts expected him to be.

Andrew Luck‘s sudden retirement seems like it happened forever ago for the Indianapolis Colts and their fans. Many wondered what were they going to do when their star quarterback called it quits, as many weren’t sure if then backup Jacoby Brissett had the ability to take this Colts team to where the wanted to go.

The Colts showed faith in Brissett, however, giving him a two-year extension before the season started.

After three weeks and three really solid performances, Brissett is proving to everyone that he is the guy for the immediate and near future for Indy. He has been efficient and has fit right in with head coach Frank Reich‘s offensive scheme. He has led the Colts to a 2-1 record, having them tied atop the AFC South standings.

Coming off what can be considered as a “breakout game” in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, many are starting to take notice of Brissett and his exceptional level of play. Indy has looked very consistent and methodical on offense and they can attribute that to Brisset’s management of the game.

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The sample size is only three weeks, but nevertheless, Brissett has been balling in that time frame. Even though he has only thrown for 646 yards, he also has seven touchdowns and one interception. Those seven touchdowns are ranked tied for fourth highest in the NFL over the first three games.

He has a completion percentage of 71.7 which is ranked seventh among quarterbacks so far in the season. Brissett also touts an impressive quarterback rating of 112.0, also top 10 in the league. Those stats tell the story that Brissett is playing exceptionally well, and against Atlanta, he was playing out of his mind.

Coming out scorching would be an understatement for how Brissett started his Week 3 game. He completed his first 16 passes to start the game, which was tied for the fifth-longest completion streak in franchise history. This is something that even Luck couldn’t do during his career in Indy (no shade to Luck, though).

Brissett accumulated almost half of his previously mentioned 646 yards for the season in this game alone (310), showing that if needed, he can throw the Colts to victory. Brissett played like a point guard, making sure everyone got their hands on the ball during the game.

He completed passes to nine different receivers against Atlanta. He has developed chemistry with T.Y. Hilton, throwing him a touchdown in every game so far this season. Even when Hilton left the game with a quad injury, Brissett didn’t flinch, continuing to find other options and keep the offense running smoothly. One couldn’t have asked for more from No. 7 at this point in the season, as he has stepped right in after Luck retired and took control of the team.

Brissett’s excellent game even garnered praise from coach Reich, as he had this to say about his quarterback’s performance, via The Athletic:

"“Jacoby was unreal. You can’t play quarterback much better than he did today.”"

It was thought the Colts might’ve been trying to protect Brissett the first two games of the season, as they favored the run game heavily. However, after Brissett’s Week 3 aerial assault, the Colts should now realize that they don’t need to protect him, they just need to let him play football.

He has shown the ability to control the game with his arm, leading the team on long drives that resulted in points of some kind, whether it be a field goal or touchdown.

Brissett has always shown the potential to be an exceptional quarterback, but now he has all the necessary pieces around him for his talents to flourish. Back in 2017 when he started, he was brought in at the last minute and was tasked with learning the offense on the fly with a pretty bad supporting cast around him.

Now, with weapons around him and a couple of years learning the offense under his belt, Brissett is comfortable and confident, which is great combination for any quarterback. Put that together with his natural and intellectual abilities as a football player, this is the result the Colts expected, even when everyone else was skeptical of how Brissett was going to perform. If he continues this level of play, he can be the primary reason why Indy can end the season as AFC South champions.

Jacoby Brissett’s play, primarily his Week 3 performance, has the Indianapolis Colts feeling good about their quarterback situation. Even though he isn’t Andrew Luck, he still is showing that he can be “the guy” for the Colts this season and beyond.

Besides the lone interception, there haven’t been any other negatives he has made and that is the biggest part of being an NFL quarterback, being able to limit the mistakes and make enough plays to lead your team to victory. Brissett has done just that and the Colts are reaping the benefits.

It’s nice that the season has started out well for Brissett, but many are going to ask (or see) if he can keep this up for an entire 16-game season. Their next four games won’t be cakewalks, as they face the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs (a rematch of last year’s Divisional playoff game), division rival Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

Brissett will be going up against some formidable defense in this four-game stretch, so he will need to bring his best to lead the Colts to victory. If he continues to play how he did against Atlanta, he gives the Indianapolis Colts a really good chance to win these upcoming games.