Performance anything but a Petty sight
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Was Sunday’s 26-6 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium the end for Bryce Petty as an NFL starting quarterback?
Was this the end for Petty as a Jet after three years with the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2015?
“Yeah, of course you wonder,’’ Petty said. “Human instinct is to wonder. Obviously, I want to be here. You put your product on the field and you try to put your best foot forward.’’
Statistically, it wasn’t a very productive three-game run for Petty as the Jets’ starting quarterback. He finished 0-3 and, since replacing Josh McCown after the veteran broke his left hand in Denver, he completed 55of-112 passes (for 49.1 percent) for 544 yards with a 4.9-yards-per-attempt average, one TD, three INTs and a 55.0 passer rating.
Most importantly, he led the Jets to only 31 points in his three starts, 13 in the final two games. Petty is now 1-6 as the Jets starter in the last two seasons.
It is difficult to imagine the Jets considering him a part of their quarterback equation next season, certainly not competing for the starting job.
“Regardless if whether I’m here or somewhere else, the experience was invaluable,’’ Petty said. “I’m super, super grateful to have had those three games to learn and hopefully the next chance I get is more productive.’’
It was a weird game for Petty, who completed 19-of-36 passes for 232 yards, but failed to get the offense into the end zone despite creating some chunk plays to put the offense in position to score.
On the Jets’ second possession, they gained 61 yards on the first three plays of the series and then lost nine yards on their next three plays, settling for a 48-yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal.
On their third possession, the Jets got 50 yards on their second play of the series — 35 on a Petty pass to tight end Neal Sterling with another 15 yards tacked on for a Patriots’ penalty for roughing the passer. Six plays later, Catanzaro missed a 40-yard field goal wide left.
Later in the game, Petty was sacked in the end zone for a safety, giving the Patriots the 26-6 lead.
Jets coach Todd Bowles, when asked about Petty’s performance, called it “a tough night.’’
“I thought he did better than the past two weeks, but obviously we weren’t good enough as a whole,’’ Bowles said.
“You’ve got to score points,’’ Petty said. “I take that very personal. I’ve got to get better on third down and I’ve got to get better in the red zone scoring points. The third downs and red zone, that’s where the money is for a quarterback, making sure you stay in the field and score points, not just field goals.
“To be out there and live through and learn from was invaluable for me. I’m excited about this offseason and the road ahead. I’ll go into the offseason with a lot of things to work on.’’
The question is whether he’ll be working on them as a Jet.