Is the Cardinals Veteran Backup a Better Option for Arizona Than Their Star QB?
While the Arizona Cardinals could not find a way to get back in the win column on Sunday, there were some positives to take away from the game. One example is the play of backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Heading into the Week Six matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona was preparing to be without its starting quarterback in Kyler Murray, after he injured his foot during the Week Five loss to the Tennessee Titans. This then left the door open for Brissett to make his first regular-season start as a Cardinal as they looked to rebound against a red-hot Indianapolis team. While the Colts emerged victorious, Brissett showed flashes of brilliance that kept Arizona in the game throughout and raised questions about whether he should remain the starter going forward.
On Brissett’s first drive, the Cardinals were looking to answer back from an Indianapolis opening drive score. However, Arizona wasn’t able to get anything going, as newly acquired punter Pat O’Donnell was forced to punt the ball back to the Colts after a quick three-and-out. With the Cardinals' defense returning the favor by forcing an Indianapolis three-and-out punt, this left Brissett with a second chance to even the score. Unlike the first drive, Brissett was able to methodically move Arizona’s offense down the field, ending in a one-yard score for running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight to even the score at seven apiece. From there, things wouldn’t go so well heading into halftime, as Brissett would throw an interception after just getting the ball back prior, when the Cardinals' defense intercepted Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, and could only find a way to get into field goal range late in the second quarter to go into halftime down 14-10.
However, following an intermediate break for halftime, things would begin to click once again for Brissett and Arizona’s offense. With possession coming out of the half, Brissett led a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive, where he would find tight end Trey McBride for a one-yard score to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game. While Indianapolis would find a way to scrape together a field goal drive, Brissett would then follow by giving Arizona the lead after going on another touchdown drive, where this time he would find wide receiver Greg Dortch for a 12-yard score. As the third quarter came to a close, it looked as if Arizona would potentially come out of Indianapolis with a win by leading 24-17. However, this would be the time that the Colts would take over, as Jones led Indianapolis on two consecutive scoring drives while the Cardinals could only add three more points to the board before eventually falling in the end 31-27.
On the day, Brissett would complete 27 of his 44 pass attempts for 320 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Along with his passing numbers, Brissett also added 19 yards on three rushing attempts, with a long of 12 yards. While Arizona did end up losing this game, Brissett made it so the Cardinals would stand a fighting chance, especially on the road. It comes as no surprise that Brissett was able to find success in his now-10th year in the league, but that mainly came when his role was the backup and not the full-time starter. It does warrant a discussion, however, because Brissett’s 320-yard performance is 100 yards better than Murray’s season-high in passing through five games, but granted, Murray also makes more plays with his legs. Nevertheless, even if Murray does come back ready to play for Arizona’s next game against the Green Bay Packers, Brissett should still be given a fighting chance to try and lead the Cardinals to another potential upset win.
