FOXBOROUGH – Jacoby Brissett came on in the second quarter in relief of an injured Drake Maye, who suffered a concussion after taking a blow to the head late in the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for the crowd to get a little restless with Brissett at the helm.
By the end of the quarter, the veteran quarterback was hearing boos from the crowd when the Patriots opted to sit on the ball and run out the clock trailing 13-7 to the New York Jets before the half.
By the end of the game, however, those boos turned to emphatic cheers, as Brissett, who had been benched in favor of Maye three weeks ago, led the team on a game-winning drive to take down the Jets, 25-22.
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Trailing by five with less than three minutes to play, Brissett orchestrated a 12-play drive the put the Patriots over the top, ending their six-game losing streak.
Following the game, Brissett was asked if he felt a bit of redemption, coming on as he did to save the day. He wasn’t having it.
“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, referring to the media. “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.”
Brissett made two key third down plays to set up Rhamondre Stevenson’s game-winning plunge from the one-yard line. On a third-and-nine from the Patriots 43-yard line with two minutes to go, Brissett used his legs to scramble 14 yards for the first down and keep the chains moving.
After two straight incompletions, now facing a third-and-10 from the Jets 43 with 1:29 left, Brissett hit Kayshoon Boutte with a 34-yard pass.
Four plays later, the Patriots were in the end zone.
On the day, Brissett completed 15 of 24 passes for 132 yards. He had little chance in the first game against the Jets at the Meadowlands, under siege from the pass rush, but made the necessary plays this time when afforded the time.
“It was just believing in myself, sticking to what I know is right, that I can play in this league,” he said. “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.”
