His night included an interception that was returned for a touchdown after defensive end Kerry Wynn stepped in front of a screen pass, but otherwise Brissett absolutely looked the part of a capable NFL signal caller.

Facing third and 10, Brissett took the ball from the shotgun, kept his eyes up field while shuffling left to escape some pressure, then got his feet set enough to drill a strike to Devin Lucien.

All told it was about as good a night as New England could’ve hoped for from the quarterback – and if his job really is in jeopardy, Thursday’s performance assured that Brissett won’t be unemployed for long even if the Pats opt to roster only Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Another early 2016 draft pick thought to be on the bubble was cornerback Cyrus Jones, and his roster status might’ve come into clearer focus Thursday – for the wrong reasons.

A week after Julian Edelman’s torn ACL reminded New England of how devastating those types of non-contact injuries can be, Jones could certainly be facing a long-term situation – and that could mean the Patriots can place him on injured reserve rather than needing to make a decision about keeping him on the 53-man roster.