Ted Johnson: Brissett was ‘a disadvantage’ for Patriots in loss to 49ers

Ted Johnson: Brissett was ‘a disadvantage’ for Patriots in loss to 49ers. Originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots aren’t getting the kind of quarterback production they need from starter Jacoby Brissett, but will this lead to a change at the position heading into Week 5?

The Patriots fell to 1-3 after a 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Week 4 game at Levi’s Stadium.

Brissett completed 19 of 32 pass attempts for 168 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The interception was returned by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner for a touchdown early in the second quarter, giving San Francisco a 13-0 lead. The veteran quarterback also fumbled twice, losing one of them.

“(The Patriots) really built him up – ‘He’s tough, he takes a lot of hits, he does everything we ask him to do, he protects the football.’ He didn’t do any of that in the game today,” Ted Johnson said on NBC Sports Boston Patriots Postgame Liveas seen in the video player above.

“A terrible interception that really played a key role in losing this game. The Patriots defense had some influence on that, but it was just the first game this season where I say Jacoby was a detriment to your team today.”

It’s important to note that the Patriots’ offensive line once again played poorly. Brissett was sacked six times and took ten hits. But there’s no question that Brissett’s performance on Sunday simply wasn’t good enough. The Patriots don’t have enough offensive power to overcome multiple turnovers and expect to be competitive with the reigning NFC champions.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was asked in his postgame press conference if he would consider a quarterback change after his team’s third straight loss.

“At this point, Jacoby is our starting quarterback,” Mayo told reporters.

“I haven’t seen a movie or anything like that. He was a great leader. After I spoke to the boys, he simply broke up the crowd. We have to watch the film. We have a long flight ahead of us to watch the film. “We are always evaluating every single position.”

The Patriots host the rival Miami Dolphins next Sunday in a Week 5 game at Gillette Stadium. It is the first of two straight home games for New England before the team travels to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7.

Will there be a quarterback change at some point during this phase? If that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to expect the Patriots’ offense to win any of these games. It is extremely difficult to beat someone when the passing attack poses little to no threat.