Though he threw an interception with seconds remaining that sealed their fate against the New York Jets, interim quarterback Jacoby Brissett was the least of the Cleveland Browns’ problems in the Week 2 loss. Before the fatal play, Brissett had been nails for the Browns, completing passes at a high rate and driving Cleveland efficiently downfield.
Still, in the modern NFL, a team’s signal-caller bears most of the fallout after a loss. Brissett is no different, even if he is just a placeholder for the Browns while they wait for their franchise quarterback to return to action later in the season. He spoke to reporters after Sunday’s defeat, and was clear in his intention to put the loss behind him and focus on the remaining games on Cleveland’s schedule.
“Listen, it is the second game of the season,” Brissett said. “We have 15 now because it is a 17-game season. We have a ways to go. We have a lot of leaders in that room. We have a lot of good players in that room and a lot of good teammates. I understand that me being one of the ‘older guys’ – I am still young but one of the older guys – not to bump our people with words and let guys figure things out. I think we have the right guys, the right men in that room to do that. I think they will. The sun is going to come up tomorrow. I think the guys understand that, and we have to get ready to go on a short week.”
While the brutality that took place in Week 2 will prove to be nothing more than a single loss in the Browns’ grueling 2022 schedule, the fantastic way they managed to let the game slip away will stick with the team for the rest of the season. Veterans like Brissett know how to take losses like the one suffered on Sunday in stride, and with some effort in the locker room this week, he could help his younger teammates bounce back against the Steelers on Thursday night to improve Cleveland’s standing in the AFC North.
