Ihedigbo was limited almost exclusively to special-teams duty with the Jets, who signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2007.
He spent that season and part of 2008 on the practice squad before being promoted in October.
Ihedigbo played 37 games over three years for New York before being released during training camp this year; he was signed by the Patriots Aug. 19.
With Sergio Brown struggling, and Josh Barrett dealing with hamstring and thumb injuries that led to him being inactive for the game, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and de facto defensive coordinator Matt Patricia turned to Ihedigbo.
“I’m playing with great guys in the secondary - it’s a great fit,’’ he said. “It went very well. Besides a couple of plays in the red zone, it was a pretty solid performance in the back end.’’
Ihedigbo said he felt comfortable on the field, and Chung praised him for his on-field intelligence.
“He’s good. He’s a smart guy, and I’m confident with him out there, period,’’ Chung said. “He knows what he’s talking about out there and we can look at each other and make signals on the sidelines with the corners and disguise things. He’s definitely a smart guy.’’
Belichick singled out Ihedigbo’s play when asked how the defense played without Jerod Mayo, out with a sprained MCL.
“James did a great job for us today in his overall communication, and of course he was pretty familiar with the team we were playing,’’ Belichick said. “He’s a smart guy that really works hard, communicates well, and practiced well this week. I thought he did a good job when he was in there, delivered a couple big hits, and played well.’’
Said Ihedigbo, “I probably couldn’t ask for a better way [for his first start]. The team that let you go, to come back and start and stick it to them. It was a great win, a great team win, and it puts us ahead in the division chase against them.’’
