New England Patriots

Patriots preseason Week 4: Jacoby Brissett likes and dislikes

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) throws a pass during the second half of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Patriots 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

In the New England Patriots preseason finale, Jacoby Brissett assumed control of the offense after halftime.

First off, here is Jacoby Brissett’s stat line from last night:

13 completions on 21 attempts, 152 passing yards; two rushes, 16 yards

Here are two things we liked about Brissett’s play last night, followed by one thing we weren’t so keen on.

LIKE: Eye manipulation coupled with arm strength

In his first series, Brissett did an impressive job of manipulating defenders in the center of the field with his eyes. On a completion to A.J. Derby, Brissett had the spying Giants defenders expecting him to go left with the ball, but instead Brissett yanked his line of sight back to the right and slung it to Derby. Good stuff.

Immediate reaction to selection of Jacoby Brissett

Brissett possesses awesome arm strength, and it’s really helping him get adjusted to life in the NFL. Brissett did a great job zipping passes to his targets in tight spaces. One throw that really stood out was the cross-field bullet to Devin Lucien (you may remember that Lucien got hurt on the play).

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) runs with the ball during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

LIKE: Brissett using his legs

On several occasions, Brissett salvaged a collapsing pocket by escaping with his legs. Even if it didn’t always result in a positive play, Brissett did a good job of cutting his losses and preventing a worse outcome. But Brissett also turned rough-looking plays into first downs with his legs, namely a 12-yard scramble in the third quarter that moved the chains.

An in-depth look at Jacoby Brissett

Brissett has a trio of very desirable pro traits: arm strength, accuracy and mobility. All three of those characteristics were on display last night. It’s too soon to get overly excited about Brissett because he has yet to play in the heat of a meaningful NFL game, but the early reports are positive.

Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is tackled by New York Giants outside linebacker Mark Herzlich (94) during second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

DISLIKE: Lack of awareness in pocket

On the whole this preseason, Brissett has been impressive, but he clearly is still getting a grip on what the pocket feels like in the NFL. Going from watching Brady stand poised and comfortable in the pocket to Brissett looking a bit shaky and unaware of pass rushers around him painted a good portrait of how far Brissett has to come in the next few years to become a starter, in New England or elsewhere.

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That all being said, Brissett was on point yet again in the preseason. The early returns from the drafting of the North Carolina State product are encouraging, and it will be interesting to see how Brissett handles being thrust into a NFL regular season game should Jimmy Garoppolo go down with an injury in September.

What was your overall impression of Brissett last night?