Jacoby Brissett said he cried at least three times before Sunday’s game. That’s how much it meant to him.
A journeyman quarterback for much of his NFL career, Brissett came in as the starting quarterback, got the support of his coaches and led the New England Patriots to an upset win in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s only one win and one week. But the veteran quarterback knows that opportunities like these don’t come along often.
For Brissett, the emotions started the moment he arrived at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“I think I cried three times before the game. I cried when I got to the stadium.”
The emotions surged forth again during a moment Brissett shared with Jerod Mayo. The rookie head coach shared a message of support Brissett had never gotten in his career.
“Cried when Mayo came up to me before the game. He started laughing, he’s like, ‘You’re about to win us this game. You’re about to ball out.’ I had never heard that from a coach. That meant a lot to me,” Brissett said.
Finally, the emotions got to Brissett one last time as he and the offense took the field against a heavily favored Bengals team.
“Then I cried when we were going out there on offense,” Brissett said. “My emotions were definitely high. It’s definitely a moment that I just can’t take for granted. These things don’t come by often.”
Brissett and the Patriots came into the 2024 regular season with low expectations. Projections have New England predicted to finish among the worst in the league. Meanwhile, fans have been clamoring for rookie Drake Maye to get the start.
Still, Brissett and the Patriots came out and rose above criticism and expectations to pull off an unlikely win on the road.
It was a big win. But as Brissett said, it was huge for him just to get the opportunity to go out there and play.
The Patriots believed in their veteran starter. For one week, it paid off.
