Jacoby Brissett Should Be a Detroit Lion
By Walter Mitchell
Last off-season, when Monti Ossenfort signed Jacoby Brissett to a 2-year $12.5M contract with $8M guaranteed, I thought the salary was excessive given the struggles he exhibited with the Patriots during his 5 bridge starts.
What I did not realize at the time was that Ossenfort's intent, at Drew Petzing's passionate behest, was to have Jacoby be the team's Plan B starter in the event that Kyler Murray should once again falter.
From the first pre-season game against the Chiefs where Jacoby came in and, at the back of the pocket with pressure quickly in his face, he promptly threw a dime of a TD pass to Simi Fehoko, Jacoby donned an air of confidence in ways he lacked a year ago in New England.
This is when I first began to sense that Jacoby had signed with the Cardinals because, not only did he know and command Drew Petzing's system like the back of his hand, he had been given the incentive to take over as the team's starter if and when Kyler happened to be injured or struggling.
Drew Petzing had worked very closely with Jacoby as his QB coach with the Browns in 2022. Due to Deshawn Watson's suspension, Jacoby started the first 11 games, going 4-7, completing 64% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 12 TDs, 6 ints, while absorbing 24 sacks and leading the team to two 4th quarter comeback wins. His 88.9 passer rating (RTG) was the highest of his career.
The highest passer RTG of his 10-year career ---until this past season with the Cardinals where Jacoby's grade spiked to 94.1 given his 64.9% completion percentage, 3,366 yards passing, 23 TDs and 8 ints.
Those numbers --- especially in light of the fact that Jacoby Brissett, without even a half-way acceptable running game and behind an OL that eventually would lose 4 of its 5 starters, and therefore having to play under relentless pressure, Jacoby passed for more yards per game than any QB in the NFL (280.5) during the last 12 games and threw for the 2nd most TDs with 23 (2nd only to NFL MVP Matthew Stafford) ---
These numbers corroborate Hjalte Froholdt's claim that Jacoby "ain't no backup." Not to mention, having his #7 red jersey shipped to the Hall of Fame in Canton for breaking the NFL record for completions in a game when he completed 47 of 57 passes (82.5%). for 452 yards, 2 TDs and 2 ints versus the 49ers in a 44-22 loss.
And that's just the ironic problem for so many Cardinals' fans --- even though he set an NFL record, Jacoby lost the game, which renders his and the offense's accomplishment meaningless.
Jacoby was 1-11. To some fans, nothing else matters --- not the fact that the Cardinals were underdogs in every single one of his 12 starts --- that he was playing on the side of the ball that suffered by far the most devastating series of injuries --- that the defense, while 6 of the starters on the front 7 and the 2 starting safeties were healthy all season, was so utterly incompetent that they finished the season 27th in total defense, 29th in points allowed, 27th in 3rd down conversion percentage, 30th in sacks and woefully 32nd in tackling --- plus, consider the fact that the Cardinals played 8 games versus top 12 defenses --- and every QB who Jacoby faced had Pro Bowl credentials ---
All begs the obvious question --- how fair is it to discredit Jacoby Brissett for his 1-11 record?
When one factors in all of the elements that were working against Jacoby Brissett's chances to win any of his 12 starts, his accomplishments were, in my opinion, nothing short of miraculous.
Let's not forget that the same fans who continue to discredit and shun any notion of Jacoby Brissett being a bona fide starter, were the same ones who were calling Drew Petzing's passing offense an abject failure --- the same ones who were insisting that Michael Wilson was at best a WR3 on any other team. The same ones who were calling Trey McBride a red zone ghost.
Jacoby blew all of those gross misconceptions out of the water.
It's one of the main reasons why Drew Petzing landed the cream of the crop OC job this off-season with the Lions.
Speaking of the Detroit Lions, that's where Jacoby Brissett should play this season. The Lions signed Teddy Bridgewater to be Jared Goff's backup, but all they are paying him is $1.57M. They have $16.1M of cap space and a Super Bowl caliber roster. If Jared Goff were to get injured, Jacoby Brissett would give the Lions the best chance to stay on track.
As for Arizona, even though signing Jacoby Brissett last year was by far Monti Ossenfort's best free agent move for the offense and arguably the team's toughest player, one cannot ignore Ossenfort's chronic mishandling of QBs throughout his 4-year tenure as GM.
Jacoby is wasting his time here. This is not a serious organization that rewards players for toughness. As an organization, the Cardinals are about as soft and squishy as a marshmallow.
Is it merely a coincidence too that Monti Ossenfort's best defensive free agent signing by far last year, Josh Sweat, is not attending OTAs? And that he is reportedly pissed off with the front office?
Michael Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort treatment of Jacoby Brissett is yet another sterling organizational embarrassment. Their incompetence has overshadowed the momentum that led to Hjalte Froholdt saying a month ago, “He’s a veteran, he knows his shit, he stands in the pocket, he takes a hit, he plays for the boys.”
And here's what Michael Wilson was saying kind of with a sigh of resignation yesterday:
https://x.com/SleeperAZCards/status/2056499339904839924?s=20
Perfectly said, M-Willy, "It's just business as usual." Especially for the Arizona Cardinals.
Trade Proposal
Lions acquire:
* QB Jacoby Brissett
Cardinals acquire:
* S/SCB Avonte Maddox (was a nickel CB/S with the Eagles in 2021 and 2022)
* 2027 6th round pick (which could become a 5th round pick if Jacoby starts more than 6 games)
From Red Rain Podcast's Color Analyst supreme:
Re the Jacobi Brissett holdout-It's not about money it's about negotiating a trade/release. Brissett has $67 million in career earnings — he's not sitting by the mailbox waiting on another check. This is about getting the hell out of a franchise that has absolutely no idea what it's doing. This is a man trying to escape a rudderless franchise with his dignity intact. And he figured out the fastest way to do that is ask for a raise, because nothing moves Michael Bidwill like a dollar sign.
Can you blame him? The Cardinals spent seven seasons enabling Kyler Murray, handed him $230 million, bent the entire organization around his ego, and watched it blow up in their faces. Now they want a veteran quarterback to quietly absorb that wreckage on a team built to lose?
Free Jacoby. He's too smart and doesn't deserve this mess.
Bravo, Sam!
Next up: FREE BUDDA!
Good write-up. Jacoby became a Cardinal with 9 years of backup QB experience. On top of being a smart guy, he knows the backup QB drill really well. I would bet money that when Jacoby came in and watched the 230 million dollar starting franchise QB, he instantly saw Kylers flaws. He saw that the 5-9 QB had trouble seeing over tall lineman. He also saw that Kylers focus on avoiding taking hits dominated his play so much that he was either releasing the ball before his receivers hit the top of their routes or he was taking off to early scrambling around the field. Jacoby saw that Kyler weaknesses were his strengths. Jacoby is 7 inches taller than Kyler, he's bigger and not afraid of taking hits so Jacoby went out and had one of his best seasons as a first-year backup on one of the worst teams in the NFL. A perfect scenario for a smart, durable experienced pocket passer. Like Kurt Warner, Jacoby is a super competitive guy who was put in a position to take the starting job from a guy who was supposed to be the face of this franchise. That's a QBs dream to be given an opportunity like that and Jacoby took full advantage of it. There are lots of good players on bad teams and last season, Jacoby was a good QB on a terrible team. The way this team has treated Jacoby this offseason makes me embarrassed to be a long time Cardinal fan. It's like having an old friend from high school who today is a total scum bag and at the reunion everyone still associates you with that POS. This organization and the fans who blame Jacoby for this team's win-loss record last season don't deserve Jacoby as QB.
ReplyDeleteInsanity is being a fan of a Bidwill run team and expecting change.
Insanity is being a fan of a Bidwill run team and expecting change." He is the modern day Nurse Ratched.
DeleteLOL....I see Bidwill as Anthony(aka Billy Mumy) in "The Twilight Zone" episode "It's a Good Life" and fans are the people being held hostage in the town. If Anthony is displeased or unhappy, he "wishes" people into the cornfield. If you've never seen that episode, I highly recommend it. Lots of similarities to this team.
DeleteIt's good that you inherited this team, MB, - it's real good. And tomorrow - tomorrow's going to be a real good day!
And now the best player on a shitty defense is missing OTAs and there are too many reports to ignore that Josh Sweat wants out. Classic Cardinals. Total amateur hour in that front office. They somehow convinced a Pro Bowl rusher to sign a 4 yr contract, watched him put up 12 sacks, and then gave him a perfect excuse to force a trade by leaving zero guaranteed money on his deal after after 2 seasons. He's fixing to escape a 3-14 franchise with terrible facilities because the front office doesn't even know how to structure a contract. MO learning on the job and more proof that he is a very slow learner.
ReplyDeleteAll this over a QB signed to minimum QB contract (signed as backup promoted to starter over Murray in week 6 benching of said Star QB.). All of-season (and 2nd half of last season) all anyone could talk about was dumping Murray (230M contract). Brissett didn't complain about his contract last year, he was backup and he played the role - whilst setting career numbers for passing behind non-existent running game and a porous O-Line. Monti ( & Bidwill) should have expected the request for more money from Brissett, should have made him an offer to re-structure remaining time on contract for 15M (7.5 Guaranteed and 1.5 as base, and 6M in incentives). But that i not at all what Monti (& Bidwill) did, instead they flounder in wind creating dram where there should not be drama. Is it no wonder nobody, wants to play (or coach) for this organization. Their cheap and everyone knows they will get screwed in the end. Brissett is being dragged through the mud (So Bidwillian).
ReplyDeleteSweat has asked to be traded, wants out of the dysfunctional lost cause of a front office who do not know how to treat coaches or players.
This is why one of my corrections for Bidwill was just this, have some integrity. This is just one more example in years of Bidwillian ineptitude.
Not surprised about Sweat, he realizes this team is going to suck again and he has only a beaten down Budda and a bunch of role players just happy to start/play in the league. Sweat will be gone at trade deadline
ReplyDeleteJacoby's value is never going to be higher than it is right now. He probably didn't think he'd be in line for another payday at ALL in his career. Cardinals should've renegotiated for one year but they also wanted to keep him around because of how low his contract was
ReplyDelete