Jacoby Brissett Ravens Debut: Can the New Quarterback Save a 4-5 Season?
The Jacoby Brissett Ravens debut is Monday night against the winless Chargers, and Baltimore is also on its third kicker of the season. Brissett had his first practice Wednesday, wearing No. 11, and the Ravens solved their kicker problem within a day by signing Riley Patterson.
Our take: Brissett helps, but he isn’t a cure. The Ravens are 4-5 and have lost four straight.
What happened at Brissett’s first practice
Status: Confirmed
Brissett took the field Wednesday wearing No. 11, a new number for the 11-year veteran, per Ravens.com. Jordan Stout and Kamar Aiken wore it before him, per Ebony Bird.
Coach Jesse Minter said Brissett has a commanding presence and commands the huddle and the whole operation, even though he’s new. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said Brissett is picking up the offense very quickly and brings a little bit of stability.
Minter said the team picked up an extra day Tuesday and began a normal week of practice Wednesday. He expects Brissett to start Monday, which would make him the Ravens’ fourth starting quarterback in four games.
The uniform
The Ravens will debut their all-black “Darkness Falls” uniform Monday, with a new matte-black “Darkness” helmet that has a red-eyed logo, per Ravens.com.
The kicker problem, solved
Status: Confirmed
The Ravens had no kicker at Wednesday’s practice. Jake Moody had signed with Atlanta off their practice squad Tuesday, and Tyler Loop (groin) is on injured reserve.
Baltimore signed Riley Patterson to the 53-man roster Wednesday night and Harrison Mevis to the practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Special teams coordinator Chris Levine said Thursday that Patterson is the kicker for Monday, per Ravens Wire.
Patterson is 27. He has made 86.6% of his field goals (97-of-112) and 96.1% of his extra points in six seasons. Miami released him Oct. 20 after kickoff issues, per Ravens.com. He’ll be the Ravens’ third kicker to play this season, a franchise first.
Mevis is 24 and known as “The Thiccer Kicker.” He’s 5-of-9 on field goals this season and was waived by the Rams after missing two kicks in a loss to Buffalo. He filed trademark applications for the nickname at Missouri in 2022.
How Brissett could help the offense
Status: Opinion, with facts
The Ravens have scored fewer than 14 points in four straight games, a franchise first, per Yahoo Sports. By our math, they scored 43 points in those four games. Derrick Henry had 45 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown over three games through Nov. 5, per CBS Sports.
Former Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis said Brissett will be tight end Mark Andrews’ best friend, and that defenses can’t load the box against Henry because they have to respect Brissett’s arm. Lewis noted that Trey McBride caught 97 passes for 964 yards in 12 Brissett starts last season.
Brissett’s own numbers are modest. He completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight starts for Arizona, which went 3-5, per NFL.com. He was benched midway through Week 8. His career totals are 16,485 yards, 86 touchdowns and 39 interceptions, per Heavy.
Our take: the deep-ball argument is a hope, not data. We couldn’t find numbers showing Brissett is a deep-ball upgrade. The more realistic case is competence: he’s an 11-year veteran who can keep the offense on schedule.
Our prediction: Monday and the next four games
The Chargers are winless at 0-8, per Yahoo Sports. The Ravens have lost four straight home primetime games, the longest streak in team history, per Ravens.com.
Our prediction: the Ravens win a close one Monday, with Brissett making a few big throws, Henry finding some room and Patterson hitting a key field goal. Over the next four games, we predict a 2-2 stretch: Chargers, at Carolina, at Houston and Tampa Bay on Dec. 13. This is a prediction, not a certainty.
A 2-2 stretch would leave Baltimore at 6-7. That isn’t a playoff pace, but it would keep the door open.
Ravens schedule: what’s next
- Monday, Nov. 16: vs. the Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET.
- Sunday, Nov. 22: at Carolina.
- Sunday, Nov. 29: at Houston.
- Sunday, Dec. 13: vs. Tampa Bay, after a bye the week of Dec. 6.
Lamar Jackson Ravens playoffs news
Lamar Jackson is out six to nine weeks and plans to return, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Reported). By our count, the earliest return is Dec. 13 against Tampa Bay. Brissett’s job is to keep Baltimore close enough that Jackson’s return still matters.
Latest Ravens news
Kyle Hamilton practiced Wednesday, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins returned. All 50 players on the active roster were at practice, per Ravens.com. The Ravens also traded for center Ryan Neuzil before Tuesday’s deadline.
Jacoby Brissett Ravens FAQ
Who is the Ravens’ starting quarterback on Monday? Jacoby Brissett, Minter said.
What number does Jacoby Brissett wear for the Ravens? No. 11, a new number for him.
Who is the Ravens’ kicker on Monday? Riley Patterson, special teams coordinator Chris Levine said. Harrison Mevis is on the practice squad.
What time is Ravens vs. Chargers? Monday, Nov. 16, at 8:15 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium.
Can Jacoby Brissett save the Ravens’ season? He can help stabilize the offense, but the Ravens are 4-5 and have lost four straight, so it will take more than one player.
Bottom line
The Jacoby Brissett Ravens debut gives Baltimore stability at quarterback and, after a quick fix, at kicker. Can Brissett pull this off and save the season, or is it too little, too late? Tell us in the comments.
