Brissett Brings Much Needed Clarity, Teamwork and Poise to Cardinals' Offense
photo: Norm Hall/Getty Images
By Walter Mitchell
Clarity
A few weeks ago, I tweeted and opined on the Red Rain Podcast that "much like how Colt McCoy showed us how Kliff Kingsbury's offense was supposed to be run on schedule; it may take Jacoby Brissett to do the same for Drew Petzing's."
In one remarkable game...
Mission accomplished.
In fact, who would have ever believed that Jacoby Brissett, in his first start on the road versus a high-pressure defense (26 pressures, 9 QB hits, 2 sacks) would pass for 320 yards and 2 TDs, mostly without Marvin Harrison Jr. who Jacoby was clicking with, but was knocked out of the game early due to a concussion?
Brissett's 65.4 QBR was the highest of the Cardinals' season to date.
Why? Because he ran Drew Petzing's offense on schedule and on time. Because he stood up strong against the relentless pressure and made impressive throws from the pocket.
Kyler Murray's QBRs:
W1 - 36.9
W2 - 61.7
W3 - 50.3
W4 - 24.0
W5 - 56.1
Average: 42.8 --- 25th in NFL
The clarity is --- we now know what Drew Petzing's and Drew Terrell's passing offense is capable of --- and, as it turns out --- it is far more capable than what anyone was likely believe through the first 5 weeks.
Teamwork
Suddenly, all kinds of Cardinals' playmakers are now relevant.
Not only did Jacoby Brissett distribute the football to 8 of his teammates, check out this season best series of "longest receptions" in one game:
Michael Wilson - 30 yards
Trey McBride - 26 yards
Zay Jones - 24 yards
Elijah Higgins - 24 yards
Marvin Harrison Jr. - 21 yards
Bam Knight - 20 yards
When was the last time we have seen this kind of diverse chunk-yards production?
During the week leading up to the game, when the Cardinals' receivers were asked about the prospects of having Jacoby Brissett at QB, every one of them genuinely expressed their confidence in Jacoby's leadership and ability to make plays.
Poise
What a stark difference Jacoby Brissett's poise is, particularly pre-snap and under pressure, from Kyler Murray's. It's a night and day difference. Listen to what Michael Wilson said about Jacoby after the game at Indy:
https://x.com/Jake_M_Garcia/status/1977528411561017689
Did you see the relief in Michael Wilson's face that finally he feels like an integral part of the offense.
A quarterback's man job is to make everyone around him feel confident in themselves and in their roles in the offense.
Opinion:
Jacoby Brissett was the main reason why the Cardinals' game versus the Colts was competitive right down to the final play. There is no way the Kyler Murray would have handled the Colts' pressures and delivered strikes downfield the way Jacoby did.
For Jonathan Gannon to insist after the game that, when healthy, Kyler Murray will always be the starting quarterback, regardless of how well Jacoby Brissett leads the offense, is one of the major reasons why Gannon is now 14-26 (.350) and sinking fast as a head coach. Gannon's m.o. has never been about what's best for the team --- it's only been what's best for Kyler Murray. Now, in real time, Gannon's blind affinity for Kyler is backfiring big-time.
The apt karma for this is that the Cardinals are right back to where they were when Gannon came in on day one and announced that Kyler was his guy. Back then, the locker room was heavily disturbed about Kyler's lack of leadership and the red-carpet treatment he receives more than any other player, as was expressed courageously at the time by Kelvin Beachum.
Now that Jacoby Brissett has proven what Colt McCoy did with regard to what the Cardinals' offense looks like on schedule under more poised and professional leadership, once again, if you polled the Cardinals' offensive players who they want their QB to be, the answer is --- Jacoby Brissett.
This is, in the legendary words of Yogi Berra, "Deja vu all over again."
Lastly, it feels especially ungrateful and classless of Jonathan Gannon to take away from Jacoby Brissett's outstanding performance by quickly afterward dismissing him as a possibility to hang on to the starting job when, without Brissett's courageously clutch efforts to play every snap for 60 minutes at a level we have not seen this season, Jonathan Gannon wouldn't have had the satisfaction of hugging Shane Steichen after the game knowing how close a game it was --- when otherwise, imagine what that hug would have felt and looked like had the Colts put a full-scale ass-kicking on the Cardinals at a time when the Cardinals were especially vulnerable.
Jacoby Brissett lifted the team's hopes.
While, on the other hand, Jonathan Gannon --- by virtue of his "best friend" bromance with Kyler Murray and his defense that doesn't tackle, doesn't defend the run, doesn't play sticky pass coverage, fails repeatedly to get to the opposing quarterback and in 4th quarters every week turn into carboard figures --- continues to diminish the team's hopes.
Great post, Walter. To me, Gannon's post-game comments are less about what he feels personally and more of a diplomatic answer, particularly given that (1) Kyler's injury is the kind that takes time to heal and can easily be re-aggravated, (2) Cardinals are coming up to a bye week after Green Bay, which gives them additional time, and (3) while Brissett was certainly a revelation we often see backups regress once defenses get tape of a particular guy playing in a scheme.
ReplyDeleteBrissett probably will have at least another 1-2 games due to the injury, and maybe several more, to bring some consistency to the QB position (something we haven't had in a long time). I also cannot see a situation where a healthy Kyler is benched for Brissett and is still on this team in 2026. I think Gannon even acknowledging a QB controversy may start the "breakup" process before the Cardinals are ready to make that decision. I do not see Kyler accepting a backup role in this franchise at all, and maybe not even with another team.
That Michael Wilson interview says it all. That game showed that Kyler is the one holding back this offense. Do you think Gannon dismissing JB as a possibility to hang on to the starting job is because of MB? I always felt that MB hired MO on the basis that he builds an offense around KM and until MB gives the go ahead to move on from KM, MO and JG are stuck with KM as their starter. After MB ate the K2 contract, I had a feeling he was determined not to eat the KM contract as well. I would bet money that Petzing wants to move on from KM asap.
ReplyDeleteBidwillian football 101 - Sycophants promoted and paid. I agree MO, JG, DP all had been saddled with the Kyler Murray by Bidwill. Kyler has never had any true competition or honest assessments by the AZ Cardinals organization. If they had they would have been displaced from the organization.
DeleteAwfully reminiscent of the McCoy games under KK. When Kyler is out of lineup and a competent backup (McCoy or Brissett) is in place that backup makes our offense look competent rather than an incompetent offense under Kyler.
ReplyDeleteAs to Gannons comments: When has Gannon had a straight honest truth about anything in any press-conference? His press conferences are loaded with the politically correct statements with little to no truth or revelation as to facts of situation. His protection of Kyler as starting QB is completely expected given past history of Kyler (see below) and in how Bidwill wants the team run.
Kyler has been protected since day 1, he's been coddled and spoiled with a 230M contract without any accountability. We've all seen enough of the Kyler fan-club to know they will dish out all the statistics which favor Kyler and blame everyone else for his bonehead mistakes.
Agreed. Gannon's speaks like someone who is being controlled from the top. His outburst ordeal with Demercado fits in with someone who is holding it all in and finally explodes and takes it all out on someone who has nothing to do with his frustration. That's why no successful experienced HC candidate wants work in AZ. They don't want to be a puppet HC. BA only took the job because nobody would give him a HC position and thought AZ could be a steppingstone which it was. Todd Bowles left as soon as he had the chance.
DeleteThe deja vu we are hoping doesn't happen is JB defaulting in his 2nd start back to why he is a back up QB in the league. The offense seemed calmer and more sustained throughout the game. JB standing in the pocket being patient allowed the offense to flourish. When the spotlight came off the offense it refocused on a defense that hasn't stopped a drive in the 4th quarter since 1st game. That sick feeling in Cards fans stomach that have been tolerating for three seasons crystallized. If there is one word that is all too frequent with this coaching staff is collapse. It is probably the only thing this team has done consistently in the Gannon era. 19-43 in our last 62 games is becoming a statistic that can no longer be ignored.
ReplyDeleteA lot said here is correct and but there isn't a HC anywhere-high school, college and pros-who would, after one game, publicly move off his "franchise/starting injured QB or any player. Gannon performed the "back up QB press conference" in perfect HC speak.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope we have the opportunity to watch JB play another game in better fashion than KM this week against the Packers. Then we can start making more realistic statements about which QB fits Petzing's offense long term, at least until they blow up this disaster at the end of the season.
What we are witnessing and will continue to endure is maybe the most disappointing failure by a failed franchise in a long time. If one looks up recidivist failure in the dictionary you'll see a family photo of Bill and Mike Bidwill-they are the embodiment of systemic cluster...
I think the timing of Gannon's reassurance that Kyler is the starter after Jacoby Brissett left everything he had on the field and did things in the offense that we have not seen from Kyler was a bummer for the players who clearly seem elated to have Jacoby's leadership on the field and in the huddle, to Gannon's own OC who has been roasted like chestnuts by the fans and media, and to the few fans remaining, like myself, who take pride in watching good, hard-fought football games. I wouldn't be surprised if this announcement from Gannon deflates the morale of the team. You might be seeing the blowout loss you predicted in Indy this week. I have never seen an NFL HC who is so clueless about momentum. Even though it was a loss, because the offensive players were clearly encouraged by their new-found relevance and success, for the sake of that momentum why not just say this is a time to focus our attention on the players who fought tooth and nail out there today. We own that to them.
DeleteThis week will be a much better test for JB. Green Bay doesn't have the injuries that Indy had in the secondary.
DeleteGannon gave quite an interview about momentum at the beginning of the season. He spoke to how he doesn't believe in it (though I am hoping his opinion changed after the Titans game).
If a Cardinals blowout loss speaks to Gannon's announcement deflating the morale of the players in the locker room, what would the Cardinals beating the Packers indicate?
A lot of conjecture here.
ReplyDeleteDid they really have a choice? They are saddled with a QB who is contractually tied to the team and an owner who is unwilling to make the financial commitment to move on from him (yet).
Other head coaches who started around the same time had the chance to pick their QB (such as Ryans), or easily move on from them if another opportunity for a QB arose with little financial commitment (such as MacDonald). Results are better as expected. Does it mean they are better coaches or simply have better circumstances?
Did they really have a choice? Does it mean they are better coaches or simply have better circumstances? Two good questions.
DeleteEvery coach, except one is a newbie to their position, GM,HC, OC, DC QB coach etc who took jobs with the worst franchise in pro football history. Was it a good opportunity or just an opportunity? No coach with a bright future would work for Bidwill if they had any opportunities elsewhere. Several HC candidates, most with pior HC experience, declined to even interview for the HC job. These guys, maybe al,l will be looking for work in the offseason. It will be considered an escape by most of them and while there are exceptions, VJ, Kliff, most will wash out of the NFL like Kugler, Saxon, Aschoff etc. Then there are the coaches who were picked off by other clubs and promoted-Klayton Adams, Whipple who are doing well elsewhere and jumped ship ASAP at the 1st opportunity to get out of football jail. This happens to every franchise but these 2 examples were replaced by coaches with zero NFL coaching experience:
Connor Senger (replaced Spencer Whipple)-passing game coach-never coached any type of football player EVER-How's our passing game ranked 29th?
Winston DeLattiboudere III (replaced Derrick LeBlanc) DL coach. qualification for the job? Nick Rallis buddy and college teammate.ZERO DL coaching experience NFL
Cristian Garcia (replaced Sam Siefkes) LB coach who has solid experience and WTF the LBs are playing well, much better than expected and just maybe coaching is the reason.
If this current iteration of the Bidwill Rebuild finishes well below 500, who gets canned even though, they all should?
Geez I forgot KA's replacement-Justin Frye OL coach who has a ton of experience coaching OLs in college. I thought he was a decent hire given his resume but his OL has regressed and let's make sure we all understand he did not replace KA as running game coordinator. Petzing retained that responsibility and the run game sucks. Maybe the run game would regress without Connor if KA was still the OL coach. Adams been terrific as OC in Dallas. Maybe he'll replace Petzing when he gets fired.
DeleteAfter JG said they're rolling with KM after JB's masterful performance against a top team in the league, I just shook my head. Seeing our offense with JB at the helm really was night and day different than when KM is in. The coaches and players have to also see that we're better off. And if JB replicates his performance against another top team this weekend, it has to be obvious to even KM apologists. But see below for some additional insight from former players and others.
ReplyDeleteBickley Blast. One of the few people who isn't a yes man for the Cardinals organization and tells it to us straight.
https://youtu.be/uiP-qjdchfU?si=Gchn5MFLZO183EbU
Are the Cardinals better off with JB? Mark Schlereth thinks so.
https://youtu.be/v8N48stscUY?si=Hjy4QnDqkzcYhi0Y
Andrew Whitworth on KM. He thinks we would have won every game if KM had better leadership.
https://youtu.be/bPzVKt-DTsQ?si=SGgPMKzSlzeeqcrb
Ben Garcia, Alex Clancy, and Jamil Douglas. Listen to it all, but especially JD's thoughts on JB vs KM and his reaction when he's told JG is going to roll with KM. He shakes his head and says you have to play the hot hand. "It's a no brainer." "You have to start this guy." "Anyone who watched that game would say JB needs to be the starter moving forward."
The last link
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/live/O3KDhNWWXz8?si=E52aIBJV9WaCI7kb