Jacoby Brissett could not win the game for the colts against the Arizona Cardinals, but he was much better than Scott Tolzien was in Week 1. The Colts appear to be a hapless franchise, but they are definitely better than they were when they got embarassed by the Rams in Week 1. Is Brissett as good as we saw this week, or were the Cardinals underperforming because they did not have David Johnson? The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle of these two realities.
The Colts have to change
There are many changes that must be made to the Colts' roster, and the team may need to make changes to their offensive line before the end of the season to prove to Andrew Luck that he will not be injured behind that offensive line again.
Brissett looked better simply because he is a much better player than Tolzien, and he will likely make good decisions because he was trained to play in the NFL in New England. He knows enough to keep this team from falling apart, and he can keep them on an even keel until the end of the season where the Colts can make choices about their personnel. It is much easier for Brissett to keep his job simply because he would be an amazing backup, but he may get visions of being a starter in the NFL after this season.
What if Brissett gets better?
The Colts will have the option to trade Brissett for value, or they could keep him as their backup and pay him well to make sure that he wants to stay. Holding off the Cardinals is a good step for Brissett, and he is openly auditioning for the rest of the NFL when he takes the field.
He is mobile enough to survive behind this offensive line, and he is good enough to keep the ball in his hands until he has a good pass to make. This guy is a good fit for the Colts, and he should be rewarded for this performance if the Colts keep him.
What does Andrew Luck do?
Andrew Luck could do a number of things before the end of the season.
He could ask the Colts to trade him, and they might have the top overall pick to draft yet another quarterback. He could be so hurt that he cannot come back, or he could return before the end of this season and relegate Brissett to the backup job. Luck has to let the Colts know what their options are because they should be very concerned that he cannot return at all.
He has been badly injured, and he has been very slow to recover. The Colts could lose another season if he cannot return, or they could be in this position if he gets hurt again. For now, Brissett keeps this team somewhat competitive.
