Colts Gush About Jacoby Brissett Earning AFC Honor

The fourth-year quarterback was heaped with praise in the locker room on Wednesday after being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his NFL career.

A day after Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett met with the media in his weekly routine, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his four-year NFL career on Wednesday.

That meant no comment from Brissett, but several appreciative, deserving words of praise from the rest of the Colts, whose 30-23 home win over Houston on Sunday was in large part because of the quarterback’s career game. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 326 yards and four TDs with a 126.7 passer rating. The yards, touchdowns and ratings were personal bests.

“Oh man, Jacoby is amazing,” said wide receiver Zach Pascal, who caught six of those Brissett passes for 106 yards and two TDs, the best numbers of his two-year career. “He’s an amazing player, amazing friend, amazing teammate. I mean, the leadership that guy has, I’m not shocked at it. He deserves everything that comes his way. He’s going to go up from here.”

The fact that the Colts (4-2) are in first place in the AFC South Division entering Sunday’s home game against Denver (2-5) is a testament to Brissett’s development in taking over after the August retirement of Andrew Luck. Where would the Colts be without Brissett, acquired from New England for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett in 2017?

His 14 TD passes are one shy of the league lead, although the Colts have already had a bye week. And he’s had just three interceptions, which shows his growth in understanding the importance of taking care of the football. His 101 passer rating ranks 10th in the NFL among regular starters.

“Super happy,” said tight end Eric Ebron about Brissett’s AFC honor, “especially as a great friend of mine. Like I continue to say, I’m just happy to see him flourish in a role in which he’s waited a long time for. So I’m happy he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity.”

He’s the second Colts player to receive an AFC honor this season. Defensive end Justin Houston was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a win two game ago at Kansas City.

Brissett continues to impress, although nothing he has done comes as a surprise to those closest to him in the locker room.

“It didn’t surprise me at all,” said center Ryan Kelly, “whether it’s getting us the right checks in the run game, obviously we work so close together, the relationship has really grown ever since Week 1 and even before that, all through camp, all through OTAs (offseason training activities).

“A guy who came in here when he first got here three years ago, has performed and practiced like he was a starter. Not surprised at all. As the reps continue and all that kind of stuff, the leadership is really just coming along as well, getting the rest of the 10 guys in the huddle on the same page. Everybody is rallying behind him, just a guy you want to root for. The guy has played his ass off.”

Second-year head coach Frank Reich raised eyebrows in preseason before Luck’s unexpected August retirement when he proclaimed Brissett was a “top-20” NFL quarterback. Brissett has proven to be even better than that.

“I just think that he’s doing all the little things right,” Reich said on Wednesday. “I mean he has command of the huddle, making good decisions, protects the football, can make all the throws (and) good decision-making. I think he has gotten incrementally better in every one of those areas as the season goes on. I don’t think that has been any one thing. I think it’s incrementally getting better in every area.”

Longtime, respected NFL writer Rick Gosselin listed the Colts at No. 8 in his weekly power rankings, attributing the team’s success to “they don’t beat themselves with turnovers. Indianapolis has given the ball away only five times, third fewest in the NFL. Marlon Mack has carried the ball 119 times without a fumble and quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown only three interceptions in 206 passes.”

Brissett’s career game was especially needed because Houston loaded up the defensive box to stuff the Colts’ then-fourth-ranked rushing attack. So Brissett came out throwing on nine of the first 12 plays in an impressive 94-yard TD drive in the first quarter.

The Colts pass protection has also been solid. Brissett has taken just seven sacks, and as an elusive scrambler, he’s rushed for 72 yards and one TD.