Hope seemed lost for Patriots with Drake Maye concussed, but not for Jacoby Brissett

The turn of events could be considered a surprise considering how lifeless the offense looked with Brissett as the starting quarterback. But the 31-year-old Brissett, who hadn’t played a snap since being benched after Week 5, made two big, third-down throws on the final drive, making perhaps his best play of the entire season.

With 1 minute, 29 seconds left, on third and 10 from New York’s 43-yard line, Brissett, under pressure, connected deep with Kayshon Boutte for a 34-yard gain. Three plays later, on third-and-5, he found Boutte again to move the Patriots to the 1-yard line. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson knocked the ball in on fourth down.

“To be able to come into the game and see the guys rally around me and help me play,” I think that encompassed a lot of things throughout the season, Brissett said. “I just hope this is a snowball effect, the start of something special.”

Coach Jerod Mayo and several players praised the team’s resilience — how the team responded after being called “soft,” how the receivers responded after several egregious falls in the game, and how Brissett responded after losing his job.

However, Brissett doesn’t see this game as a personal redemption arc. He attributed his performance to his unwavering belief that he is a starting-caliber quarterback.

“I think this is proof that I believe in myself,” Brissett said. “I am very aware of that. I was very fortunate to have this opportunity. To go out there and get a win with our guys, it was awesome. You can’t put it into words. I’m not trying to be arrogant or anything, but I’m very proud of myself.”

With Maye in the concussion protocol, it’s possible Brissett could get another start on Sunday at Tennessee. Rookie Joe Milton, drafted this year in the sixth round out of Tennessee, is the only other quarterback in the organization.

Maye left with a head injury suffered on New England’s third possession. It appeared Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood made helmet-to-helmet contact with Maye while trying to take him down after an 18-yard scramble, although officials did not throw a flag. Maye appeared shaken, but stayed in the game four more times before the Patriots punted.

At the end of the game, Maye visited the blue medical tent on the sideline before leaving the field. The team initially listed Maye as doubtful to return and demoted him coming out of the half.

After the game, Mayo had no update on Maye, who finished with 23 passing yards (3 of 6) and 46 rushing yards, including a 17-yard touchdown.

“I came in at halftime and saw him,” Mayo said. “The competitor that he is, he wanted to get back out there and play. But there is a protocol he has to go through. I can’t wait to get him back.”

The passing attack certainly isn’t as productive at Brissett. In Maye’s previous two starts, the Patriots averaged 259.5 passing yards, nearly double their average in Brissett’s five starts (139.2). Maye, as evidenced by his scrambles, also has an impressive ability to extend play with his legs.

In their first drive with Brissett under center, the Patriots went three and to the tune of boos from the Gillette Stadium crowd. On his next drive, they ended the first half by running out the clock, which drew even more boos.

“At the end of the half you lose your starting quarterback, you just want to keep the clock running so we can reset at halftime,” Mayo said. “That was really the mentality there. I know the fans and stuff, they don’t like it. They always want you to try to go there. It was just an opportunity for us to go into the locker room and hit the reset button.”

A 62-yard punt return by Marcus Jones helped spark the offense on their first drive of the third quarter, leading to a Stevenson touchdown. The offense then stalled again, yielding a combined minus-1 yard on the next two possessions.

But Brissett and the offense were able to string together a drive when it mattered most.

“I thought Jacoby was ready to go,” Mayo said. “Was it perfect? No. But at the same time, I thought the operation was good, I thought he made some good throws. We just have to build on that.”

The players are hopeful that the energy from this win can carry over regardless of who starts at quarterback.

“We just have to stay focused on what’s in front of us,” Bourne said. “We can’t think about the bad things that happened. There is still something good.”

Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @nicolecyang.