Jacoby Brissett shows Browns fans what a competent NFL quarterback looks like

BEREA — So this is what a competent NFL quarterback looks like.

The Browns’ Jacoby Brissett has defied expectations of the fan base and the media with his performance in the past two games.

But his doubters have an excuse. Considering Brissett is No. 33 in the parade of Browns starting quarterbacks since 1999, we don’t know how to recognize a proficient professional. Especially coming off four years of Baker Mayfield, most notably the 2021 injured version.

Derek Anderson threw 29 touchdown passes in 2007 and four interceptions when it mattered with the playoffs on the line in Cincinnati.

Brian Hoyer might have made something of the Browns’ 6-3 start in 2014 if he hadn’t been looking over his shoulder at Johnny Manziel.

Tim Couch could have fulfilled his promise as the first overall pick in 1999 if he hadn’t been sacked 117 times in his first 37 games.

What Brissett has displayed in leading the Browns to a 2-1 record going into Sunday’s game in Atlanta has been a major upgrade over the Holcombs and Fryes, the Dilfers and McCoys.

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Brissett also offers a stark contrast to Mayfield, selected first overall by then-General Manager John Dorsey in 2018 over Buffalo’s Josh Allen (No. 7) and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (No. 32).

Traded to the Carolina Panthers on July 6, Mayfield continues to struggle. Brissett’s quarterback rating of 94.3 stands 10^th in the league, Mayfield’s 80.8 is 25^th. In adjusted QBR, which emphasizes the performance of the player rather than the result of the play, Brissett’s 62.6 stands ninth, Mayfield’s 18.8 is last.

Since his disappointing Browns debut at Carolina, where the Browns won 26-24 on Cade York’s 58-yard field goal, Brissett has been poised and in control. He’s thrown darts, especially in a 29-17 home victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22. He’s been an effective scrambler.

He’s avoided the what-was-he-thinking interception, although his lone pick of the season with six seconds remaining in a soul-crushing 31-30 loss to the New York Jets scuttled hopes of another York game-winning bomb.

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Already a favorite of his teammates because of his down-to-earth personality, sense of humor and his lack of a big ego, Brissett also showed his inner fire against the Steelers, when he scrambled for a first down in the fourth quarter and polished it off with an emphatic fist pump.

We’ve seen fist pumps before, especially from Mayfield, but those now seem hollow without the game to back them up. Mayfield didn’t have the arm, the physical stature or the composure to consistently direct game-winning fourth quarter drives, at least last season.

Brissett does have a better supporting cast than the Panthers’ Mayfield. But in contrasting Mayfield and Brissett, the Browns offense is largely unchanged from a year ago save for swapping out Pro Bowl receivers, Amari Cooper for Jarvis Landry.

The Browns offensive line is ranked fourth in the league by Pro Football Focus, first by Sharp Football Analysis. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Brissett was pressured on four of 33 dropbacks (12.1%) against the Steelers, the lowest pressure rate of his career. He’s been sacked four times in three games. With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns rank first in the league in rushing with 190.7 yards per game.

Directing an offense that is turning back the NFL clock doesn’t bother Brissett.

“It’s fun. It’s early in the season, but whatever we’ve got to do to score one more point,” Brissett said Wednesday. “Listen, I don’t have an ego to where I want to go out there and try to be somebody that I’m not. I just go out there and try to play good football, play to the best of my ability, be a good teammate. All those things come with it.”

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Brissett, 29 and in his seventh season, knows better than to throw across his body while on the run and into double coverage like someone we know. He relies on his strengths, accepts his limitations and sticks to the game plan. He’s not looking for freedom or to play “Off the Leash,” which was emblazoned on the T-shirt Mayfield sold ahead of the Browns-Panthers opener.

It’s possible Brissett may struggle when the schedule gets more challenging. He’s not among the league’s elite like their suspended starter Deshaun Watson.

But Browns fans can be excused for not expecting Brissett to be such a capable leader. A quarterback who’s not always trying to do too much … this is going to take some getting used to.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jacoby Brissett sets new Browns' standard for QB competence