Written by Lorenzo Reyes at USAToday.com
This was unfamiliar for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
Starting a rookie quarterback — a third stringer, no less — on the most stable franchise in the NFL.
But in his first career start, a 27-0 shutout of theHouston Texans on Thursday night, Jacoby Brissettmanaged the game, avoided turnovers, and kept the offense moving. The stats won’t win him any awards, but they helped secure the victory.
And though Brissett — at most — will play one more game, as backup Jimmy Garoppolo is recovering from a sprained shoulder and starter Tom Brady completes his four-game Deflategate suspension next week, his performance has the Patriots sitting at 3-0. An undefeated stretch without Brady, now, is very attainable.
“He handled himself great last week, this week, all week, every day,” Belichick said after the game. “He’s done nothing but come in here and work as hard as he possibly can — when we had three quarterbacks — to take his opportunities and learn from the other two guys, when it was him and Jimmy and then this week it was pretty much all him. He’s just a hard working kid that is really dedicated to doing what’s right for the team and trying to improve on anything that you tell him. He just wants to do what the coach tells him to do. I’m glad we have him.”
Brissett completed 11 of 19 passes for 103 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, but added 48 yards and one touchdown on the ground. His 27-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter gave New England a 10-0 lead it would only build further in the second half.
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