Colts Veterans Looking Forward To Playing Against Miami's Jacoby Brissett
When the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins meet for a 1 p.m. showdown inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, a familiar face will be under center against the Colts.
With budding star and former No. 5 overall pick, quarterback Tua Tagovialoa, out for the Week 4 matchup due to bruised ribs, former Indianapolis Colts captain and starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett will be calling the shots against his former team.
For the Colts, they are quite familiar with the opposing quarterback this week — on and off the field. A handful of players are looking forward to not only catching up with their former teammate, but also trying to get into the win column against him, claiming some bragging rights moving forward.
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“I think it’s about the same. He’s by far one of the biggest competitors that I ever played against and I think this week – I talked to him last night for probably about 30 minutes, just catching up," star linebacker Darius Leonard said during his media availability Thursday. "So, I know what he’s planning to do. I know he’s going to talk trash, just have to go out there and have fun and hopefully shut him up.”
Leonard spent three seasons as a teammate of Brissett's becoming good friends with the former Colts' quarterback. Sunday's game has a ton of meaning for the Colts, who are desperately trying to get into the win column after a tough start to the season, but it never hurts to have a bit of a friendly rivalry on the line as well.
For Colts captain and All-Pro caliber defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, being able to lean on the experience gained against Brissett in practice in 2020 will go a long way toward slowing down the veteran quarterback on the road Sunday.
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“Jacoby (Brissett), he’s a good quarterback, smart guy. It’s going to be fun going against him," Buckner said during his media availability Wednesday. "He’s a competitor. He used to compete against us in practice last year and obviously I’m assuming over the years. Just the type of competitor he is and the type of player he is, we know he’s going to try and extend downs and make big plays. We just need to be there to really get after him early and often throughout the game.”
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus had an up-close look at Brissett during his time in Indianapolis, learning quite a bit about the big, physical quarterback through the years in practice, seeing the type of competitor and overall talent he is at the position.
Though there is some familiarity there from the Colts' perspective, Eberflus said that the Colts' defense will treat it for what it is: a new situation for Brissett in a new environment, forcing the Colts to adjust accordingly.
“Jacoby (Brissett), after knowing him for a few years and getting close with him, first of all, what an outstanding young man he is with what he does in the community, how he is as a person and how he is as a teammate," Eberflus said to media during his availability Tuesday. "We know him really well. We obviously practiced against him. This is a new week. This is a new situation and we’re going to take it as that. We’re going try to prepare our very best to play against him this coming Sunday. We just look at the film and know what we know about Jacoby and then go from there and build our plan from there.”
Have thoughts on the Colts preparing for former starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Miami Dolphins? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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