Jacoby Brissett was named the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback 10 days before the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The emotions behind this decision became clear to him on game day.

“I think I cried three times before the game,” Brissett said after the game. “I was definitely very emotional. It’s definitely a moment I can’t take for granted. It doesn’t happen often. And like I said, I don’t take it for granted.”

Sunday’s season opener marked Brissett’s 49th start in his nine-year NFL career, but it was the first time he started a game since Week 11 of 2022, as he served primarily as a backup.

“I cried when I came to the stadium, I cried when (Jerod) Mayo came up to me before the game and started laughing. He said, ‘Man, you’re about to win us this game. You’re about to give it your all,’ and I’ve never heard that from a coach before and that meant a lot to me. And then I cried when I came out there and they went on offense,” Brissett said.

Mayo’s message proved true when Brissett, as quarterback, led New England to an unexpected 16-10 victory in the season opener.

The veteran quarterback didn’t exactly impress on the stat sheet, completing 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards and no touchdowns. But Brissett stayed calm on the blitz and used his legs to pick up three first downs – including two third-down conversions on later scoring drives.

“He just played like a pro – very calm and cool,” tight end Hunter Henry said. “It was a hostile environment, very loud, and he brought a lot of energy and I thought he handled it really well – checks, throws, timely third-down pickups – it was a good game.”

“He played with his legs, with his arm,” Mayo added. “He’s a tough guy. He took some hits in the game, but he did everything we asked of him. We came out of here with a win.”

While Brissett may need to do more in the passing game in the future to continue the winning streak, the veteran did his job on Sunday, and that was enough for New England to leave Cincinnati with a win.

“It was fantastic,” Brissett said. “It’s a great team win. In all three phases of the game. Everyone stepped up when we needed them to. To win a road game with a winning lineup…it doesn’t get much better than that. I’m just proud of the job we did.”