Bryce Petty’s numbers today didn’t matter.
He could have thrown five touchdowns and led the Jets to a rousing victory or he could have had the performance he had, going 19/32 for 163 yards with a touchdown and a pick, in their 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Because Petty isn’t the quarterback of next year for the Jets. Neither is Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith nor Christian Hackenberg.
If history teaches us one this it’s that owner Woody Johnson will order general manager Mike Maccagnan to acquire either Tony Romo or Jay Cutler this offseason.
Before you laugh, may I present to you Brett Favre and Tim Tebow as evidence.
Johnson loves to acquire his toys and Romo or Cutler will be the latest salve in the Jet quarterback wound, but remember neither is perfect and both come with baggage.
Romo will be 37 years-old, injury prone and never won a big game, while Cutler has a reputation of being a clubhouse cancer. And since Brandon Marshall criticized Cutler after leaving the Bears, smart money tells you the Jets will probably bring in Cutler.
Either way, Petty better not get used to that No. 9.
Why else does a young quarterback get his chance and coach Todd Bowles puts in a conservative game plan that puts Speaker Paul Ryan to shame?
“We were trying to run the football, regardless,” Bowles said. “We wanted to be more balanced on offense.”
They got balance all right; right into the loss column.
And if this was about the future then Petty would be named the No. 1 quarterback for the rest of the season, just to see if the kid got some goods. They are 3-7, so who cares if he takes his lumps?
But Bowles won’t say who he is playing in two weeks after the Patriots after the bye. Is it Petty or Ryan Fitzpatrick?
“We will evaluate that next week as we go forward,” Bowles said. “We have a bye week to evaluate how Fitz feels. We will watch the film on Bryce and make a determination next week.”
Bowles later said he is just looking for win No. 4 on the season and scoffed at a question about the playoffs.
Channeling his best Jim Mora, he said, “We’re 3-7. We’re not even thinking playoffs. We’re trying to get to four wins.”
Ok Mora was more entertaining, but you get the point.
So that makes you wonder if the coach is concerned about his employment, because if he is, then Bowles will go back to Ryan Fitzpatrick for the rest of the season. Fitz gives him the best chance to win and maybe make a disaster of a season into a mediocre one.
However, he should stick with Petty. With two games against the Patriots and game in San Francisco, you have to expect the Jets to lose at least 10 games this season.
And since Bowles went 10-6 last season; he probably will get a mulligan anyway. Why fire him just two years into a regime and start anew, unless Woody Johnson wants to clean house?
Maybe it doesn’t mean moving Maccagnan and Bowles, but bringing in a former All-Pro who may be on the market.
Both Romo and Cutler will be on the market and if history shows us Johnson will do everything to get one of them in Jets green.
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