Although Andrew Luck retired right before the season started, the Indianapolis Colts are still very much a playoff contender thanks to the strong play from Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.
Jacoby Brissett has always been regarded as one of the NFL’s best backup quarterbacks, with the Indianapolis Colts holding onto him as insurance behind Andrew Luck despite lucrative trade offers from elsewhere. Their decision to patiently wait and keep Brissett as a strong emergency option has paid off, because the former New England Patriots quarterback has been everything they’ve needed as Luck’s replacement following the former No. 1 overall pick’s retirement.
Brissett entered the Colts Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons with a 107.8 QB Rating thanks to a ratio of five touchdowns to one interception and a crisp 69.1% completion percentage.
He continued that precision against the Falcons, completing 16 of his first 16 passes. His 17th pass was a well-defended play in the right side of the end zone, so the Colts would have to settle for a field goal to make it 13-0.
Still, Brissett has been incredible against the Falcons, making play after play in the air for this team. He averaged nearly 10 yards per pass attempt, throwing six of his 16 completions to TY Hilton with an additional 18-yard touchdown pass to Zach Pascal.
The Colts snuck into the playoffs last season as a Wild Card team, and Frank Reich’s squad could have AFC South-winning ambitions this season. Nobody else in the division has looked particularly strong, while the Colts already own a win over the Tennessee Titans and came just six points away from beating a very good Los Angeles Chargers team.
Brissett is the reason for the Colts optimism. His decision-making and accuracy have been on par with Luck’s, as he’s consistently given his team a chance to win games against three strong opponents. As his supporting cast, specifically rookie receiver Parris Campbell, continues to make strides, the Colts offense could have more explosion in the coming weeks.
But for now, they have the right formula. Brissett is making smart throws, moving the chains, and taking care of the football in an offense with one superstar receiver, two strong tight ends, and a workhorse back in Marlon Mack. If the defense can continue playing well, as they have been doing against Atlanta, then the Texans had better be worried about the threat the Colts pose. Both teams certainly have their Oct. 20 showdown circled on the calendar.