THROWN FOR A LOOP
Josh still lacks reps, Todd isn’t counting
The Jets’ practice Thursday in Florham Park was closed to fans. But there was still one excited and antsy spectator looking on — Josh McCown, the man who will likely be Gang Green’s starting quarterback come Week 1 in Buffalo.
Thus is the bizarre and unorthodox nature of the Jets’ quarterback battle, which, according to Todd Bowles, remains an “open competition” between McCown, Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty as the team prepares to play its third preseason game Saturday against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
McCown received just one rep Thursday, and it came with the scout team offense. He threw a touchdown pass from 15 yards out. In celebration, the 38-year-old signal-caller stretched his arm into the air and pointed his finger to the sky. Then he turned and walked out of the drill, joining the coaching staff.
It was there McCown spent most of the session, watching as Hackenberg and Petty split nearly all of the reps. Hackenberg worked mostly with the first team and should play significant time Saturday.
McCown, meanwhile, was itching to get on the field. At one point, while Hackenberg was under center in an 11on-11 period, McCown simulated the snap count outside the back of the end zone, mouthing, “Hut, hut, HUT!” During other drills, he paced back and forth, punched his right fist into his left hand and clapped impatiently.
McCown has received limited reps all week leading up to Saturday’s dress rehearsal. McCown said Bowles informed him of the plan at the start of the week.
“As a competitor, you want to be out there every chance you get to go out there and play. But situations are different,” McCown said. “Coach Bowles has a plan and an evaluation process of our position and this roster and how he’s going to go about things. And when you’re a member of an organization, you trust that plan. And so I’m falling in line with that.”
McCown revealed more about that process than Bowles did, however. The Jets coach continued to be evasive and noncommittal when pressed about his QBs Thursday. He refused to say if McCown will play in Saturday’s Snoopy Bowl.
“They’re all competing right now. I don’t have favorites or non-favorites,” Bowles said. “I just look at them competing, and we’ll make our decisions.”
Bowles said earlier this week that he expects to name a starter Monday. But now that decision could be delayed until Wednesday.
“It’ll be Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday,” Bowles said. “It’ll be that week, as soon as we come to a decision.”
Just seven days ago, Bowles was discussing how McCown “needs work” ahead of the Jets’ second preseason game in Detroit. Then McCown didn’t play in the loss at the Lions, and now he’s spent most of this week watching from the sideline.
What changed? “He’s got a lot of work in practice,” Bowles said. “(I) wanted to see the other two guys play.”
A reporter pointed out that McCown has not, in fact, gotten a lot of work in practice recently. He only had one rep on Thursday. “I don’t count the reps,” Bowles said. McCown noted “there’s no substitute” for game and practice reps. Nonetheless, he is comfortable with the time he’s spent working with the first-team offense in prepractice walkthrough sessions and earlier this summer and spring, when he received the bulk of the snaps under center.
“I’ve been down this road and I understand and know how to prepare with limited reps,” McCown said.
He also understands Bowles is “trying to get two young guys up to speed.”
“I want to play every chance I get,” AP McCown said. “But at the end of the day, if that’s not part of it right now, but then (I’m) called upon Week 1, I’m going to be ready.”