FOXBORO, Mass. — Jacoby Brissett will start against his former team in Week 6 when the New England Patriots visit the Cleveland Browns.
Brissett appeared in three games for the Patriots and made two starts during his lone 2016 season under Bill Belichick before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. Now, the quarterback will be opposite the team that drafted him as he continues to fill in for the suspended Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.
The Browns are in second place in the AFC North with a 2-3 record, with Brissett completing 64% of his passes and throwing for five touchdowns with 1,060 yards. Even though Brissett spent just one season with the Patriots, it was hard for Belichick to not praise him Wednesday afternoon.
“He looks about the same. What do you think he’s gotten stronger or bigger? I don’t know but it’s well about the same,” Belichick said. ‘Jacoby looks like Jacoby. He’s a big kid with a strong arm. He’s tough and he’s smart. He does a good job with the system that they’re running. He does a good job with it and doesn’t turn the ball over. He gets some scramble yards and gets the ball to (Amari) Cooper, (Donovan) Peoples-Jones, (Kareem) Hunt. Obviously, (David) Njoku. So, he does a nice job of running the offense and scoring whatever it is 26 points a game. That’s part of the quarterback’s job to score points.”
Even though Belichick knows the Patriots need to be smart with Brissett on the field, the Browns’ offensive line and defense also are on his radar — especially with pass rushers Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, who Belichick said can “wreck the game on any play.”
“One of the better groups we’re going to see. … Defensively, it’s really one word: fast,” Belichick said while noting the O-line is “very impressive.” “Everybody is fast.”
The Browns have lost two straight games, while the Patriots are looking to win two in a row for the first time this season. As of Oct. 12, Cleveland is a 3-point favorite. Kickoff from FirstEnergy Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
