The Bryce stuff
Gang Green kick off Petty era in earnest
AS Ryan Fitzpatrick was leaving the podium after a postgame press conference for likely the final time this season, he slapped hands with Bryce Petty, who was about to begin his session with the media.
It was a congratulatory and symbolic acknowledgment the Jets are Petty’s team now, at least for the final four weeks of this disappointing season. That became evident early in the Jets’ 41-10 loss to the Colts on Monday night and was made official when head coach Todd Bowles pulled Fitzpatrick and inserted Petty to start the second half of what would be the most embarrassing game of Bowles’ two-year tenure as head coach of the Jets.
The switch of quarterbacks was needed, if not overdue. At 3-9, the Jets can only look to the future. What was curious is Bowles said he had made up his mind before the game Petty would be the starter for the final four games of the season regardless of how things went Monday night.
“The plan was to start him in the last four games anyway,” Bowles said. “We just started him a half early. We could have won 45-0 and he would have started the last four games. That’s the slot we had penciled for him.”
Of course, everyone but Bowles seemed unaware of his thinking, and his resolve would have been tested had the Jets actually played as if they cared. But premeditated or not, Petty gets his chance to show whether he can be the quarterback of the future.
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said after completing 11of-25 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. “Opportunities are far and few between in this league. You have to capitalize on every chance you get.”
Here’s the thing. This was a move Bowles had to make whether he made up his mind weeks ago or at halftime, when the Jets trailed 24-3. Fitzpatrick was awful, completing 5-of-12 for 81 yards with one interception. The Jets were 0-for-5 in thirddown situations at the half; a half-empty stadium was booing.
The only positive worth mentioning was a 40-yard catch and run by running back Matt Forte. An added 15 yards was imposed when the Colts were called for roughing Fitzpatrick. That set up the home team’s lone score of the half, a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk. Aside from that, the offense was dreadful.
“I didn’t get it done,” Fitzpatrick said.
Enter Petty, who really didn’t have a fair chance to succeed, trailing 31-3 with 8:48 left in the third quarter.
“It was against the odds,” Bowles said.
What you liked about Petty is he showed some resilience. He twice overthrew an open Robby Anderson before they finally connected on a beautiful 40-yard touchdown pass with 11:19 remaining in the game. It capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive against a soft Colts secondary.
“I don’t feel like I played to my ability tonight,” Petty said. “I feel like I was pressing, whether I was trying to create a spark or make a big play. Sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you.”
Petty is excited to get reps in practice that will properly prepare him for a start instead of being thrown into the fire. He’ll get a fair chance to show his potential.
“These next four games are big because it’s a game plan I get to execute on a daily basis,” he said. “Going out with the first team and being able to pick apart the game plan and see it come to fruition in a game. Everything is big these next four games.”
They’re big for Bowles, too, whose job is in jeopardy after the Jets’ embarrassing performance on national television. Petty may or may not be the Jets’ quarterback of the future, but at least he’ll get his long-awaited chance.
“This is what I want,” he said. “I want a long career. I want to be here. This is where this starts.”
Better late than never.