Colts' Jacoby Brissett makes no excuses -- even when he can

INDIANAPOLIS – Perhaps the most notable takeaway from Jacoby Brissett’s 2017 season was this: The man never complained.

Oh, he could have made a long list of excuses – justifiable ones, at that – to account for his uneven performances while quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts. He just chose not to.

Brissett could have moaned about his last-minute trade, bounced from New England to Indianapolis a week before the regular season with no knowledge of the Colts’ offensive scheme or even his teammates’ names. He could have whined about the unfair position the Colts put him in, asking him to become their starting quarterback after being on the roster all of two weeks. And he certainly could have grumbled about the porous offensive line in front of him, a key reason Brissett was sacked a league-high 52 times in 2017.

But Brissett did none of that. It’s not who he is. And that’s not what he does.

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When he missed a receiver, he took the blame. When he threw an interception, he pointed the finger at himself.

The Colts have no intention of asking Brissett to start 15 games this fall, the hope being that franchise quarterback Andrew Luck finally returns after shoulder surgery. But, in the event Brissett is asked to return to the field, he will be infinitely more prepared than he was in that cluster of a season he endured last year.

As the Colts this week continue their slate of practices during offseason team activities (OTAs), Brissett finally is enjoying the kind of preparation he could only have dreamed of last season. Just imagine how much better he might have played had he thrown a pass to T.Y. Hilton before, you know, September. And how much command might he have had over the offense if he’d had a preseason to prepare?

Those are largely irrelevant questions now, but they’re important in terms of gaining the proper perspective. Brissett right now is benefiting from finally having the most basic of needs for any quarterback: Practice time with his team. With Luck not throwing in practices, Brissett is handling all the first-team snaps.

“It’s great because I get to go out there and practice with the guys and do the stuff that I’m going to do (during the season),” Brissett said. “Last year, I got traded in the beginning of the year so it was kind of hard. But no excuse. Now I get to practice the reps and the plays with the same guys.”

The way last season played out, we’re right to wonder if we’ve even seen the real Jacoby Brissett. He’d made only two career starts before arriving in Indianapolis in the Phillip Dorsett trade last September. Then, after Scott Tolzien’s epic struggles in the season opener, Brissett was brought in from the bullpen in Week 2. He spent the rest of the season playing catch-up.

New system. New coaches. New teammates. No time. Yes, he could have played better. But, no, his circumstances could not have been worse.

New coach Frank Reich can only base his opinion on what he’s seeing currently. And Brissett is off to a fast start in Reich’s offense.

“I’m really impressed with Jacoby,” Reich said last week. “First from an intangible standpoint, (he has) great character, great leadership, mentally is on top of it, really a good passer, and really a good decision maker. I know it has just been two (practices), but you already see things – how quickly he processes information, gets to the right receiver. Obviously, he had a lot of great experience last year. Jacoby played a lot of good football last year so I’m really glad he is here.”

That feeling is mutual. Asked why he considers the new offense quarterback friendly, Brissett deadpanned, “Because we’re trying to score!”

Then, asked the differences between the old and new offensive systems, Brissett offered this not-so-subtle response: “The playcalling. It’s no knock on anybody. But that’s what makes offenses different. We’re all running the same plays to get in the end zone. It’s just how you call them and when you call them.”

Reich’s emphasis on quicker throws should benefit Brissett. One of the areas in which he struggled last season was his decision-making in the pocket. He too often held the ball too long, another big factor in those constant sacks. He’s got a big arm and football savvy. If Brissett starts to trust his reads, he could make a significant jump from last season.

And being in an offense for an entire offseason to prepare will certainly help Brissett do just that.

“You get to go out here and go through the struggle and the growing pains with the guys,” Brissett said. “You get the practice and the reps and the timing down and get an understanding for each other. I think these days are very valuable right now.”

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