POWER OF NONE
QB indecision reveals issues caused by Woody
MIKE Maccagnan’s midseason press conference went a lot like the 2016 Jets’ offense — plenty of punts, not much action and some things to make you scratch your head.
The Jets’ general manager never looks comfortable in these settings, and was particularly evasive Wednesday in a board room inside the Jets’ headquarters. He pushed off most questions to the postseason, defended the play of struggling cornerback Darrelle Revis and expressed some level of disappointment in his 3-7 team’s performance.
But it was his answers on one subject that underscore an issue with the power structure at One Jets Drive. Maccagnan completely deferred to coach Todd Bowles on who the starting quarterback should be for the rest of the season.
The decision seems simple at 3-7. They can chase a 6-10 record by rolling Ryan Fitzpatrick back out there against the Patriots on Nov. 27 or they can turn the page to 2017 by starting Bryce Petty. Not a tough choice.
“I would say simply the decision is Todd’s,” Maccagnan said. “If Todd feels that’s the right approach to take and gives us the best chance to be successful, I’m sure he’ll do that.”
Here’s the rub: Bowles is a coach. Coaches are wired for the short-term. This needs to be a long-term decision. Maccagnan needs to be able to make a decision on Petty heading into this offseason. He needs to see him play. The organization needs to see him play. Fitzpatrick has no future with the Jets. What is the point of playing him?
But Bowles surely sees a difference between 6-10 and 4-12 that fans and anyone taking the long view don’t. Bowles said this week Maccagnan basically will be informed of his decision when he makes it.
“Just me and the coaches, and once I know what I’m thinking, I’ll run it by Woody [Johnson] and Mike,’’ Bowles said of the decision-making process.
Maccagnan took issue with that Wednesday, saying he does have input into the decision. But Bowles does not need to listen to him. Jets owner Woody Johnson put Bowles and Maccagnan on equal footing when he hired them in January 2015. Unlike most GMcoach relationships in sports, Bowles does not work for Maccagnan. They both report to Johnson as equals.
That setup has led to what feels like a leadership void with the Jets. Who is really in charge? Is Maccagnan? Well, then this team should be looking at 2017. Is Bowles? Then, the Jets still might be chasing meaningless wins in 2016.
Johnson set it up this way with the best intentions. He saw the mess that was the John Idzik-Rex Ryan relationship, and thought this was a better setup. It gives Bowles control over the depth chart. In most cases, that works. Maccagnan does not need to dictate who the starting right tackle should be. This quarterback decision is different, though. It has effects beyond the next six weeks.
Look at it this way, do you think Joe Girardi wanted to blow up the Yankees at midseason this year and go with the kids? No, Girardi surely wanted to try to win as many games as possible, but Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner decided to trade away assets with an eye toward the future.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson once said, “If an organization is worth its salt — why would you turn that company over to a middle manager? … We’re not looking for someone to tell us how to run the team, or upon which theory it should be predicated. We already have that. We want someone who is going to implement it for us. That’s a very different approach.”
I think Bowles should be more than a puppet which is how the “Moneyball” approach views managers/ coaches, but Alderson has a point. Why should Bowles dictate the future of a Jets organization he may not be part of ? Maccagnan should be setting that course along with Johnson.
“You want to see young players play, but you want to make sure they’re ready for that,” Maccagnan said. “To me, it’s a more complicated decision than some people realize. Me personally, I’d like to see whatever’s in the best interest of the organization, both shortterm and long-term.”
I guess Bowles will let him know what that is soon. brian.costello@nypost.com