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Florham Park – Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan spoke to the media today. Let’s break it down. It’s important to keep a couple of things in mind . . .
Mike Maccagnan spoke to the media today. The media was frustrated with how it went. He kicked the can on most questions either differing to Todd Bowles (on who plays) and pushing personnel questions to the off-season.
Honestly, he probably shouldn’t speak in the middle of the season. Nothing good can come from it. He’s getting ripped all over the place for his non-answers.
There was an old song by a singer named Joe South – “Walk a mile in my shoes.”
I’d love for reporters to switch places with him in his press conference and how would they would handle the questions?
For instance, he was asked about Darrelle Revis’ effort.
Some think he didn’t make much of an effort to tackle Arizona’s David Johnson or Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell on long sideline runs.
Perhaps that is true, but do you expect him to question Revis’ effort in the media? C’mon. He’s not going to do that.
That would create a national story.
Plus, the owner was clearly the driving force behind that Revis contract, so no GM wants to embarrass his boss.
The Jets need to move on from Revis after this season.
To move him to safety when his tackling has slipped is a bad idea.
But he’s an iconic player, and Maccagnan is certainly not going to rip him in the media.
And I’m not going to rip Maccagnan for not ripping him.
“Walk a mile in my shoes.” – Joe South . . .
So many in the media are obsessed with playing Bryce Petty the rest of the games to see what he can do.
Maccagnan was asked myriad questions about this.
And one thing he said caught my attention.
“I would say from my standpoint, you’d like to see young players play, but you also want to make sure they’re ready for that,’ Maccagnan said.
I’d worry about Petty’s safety. Remember in the preseason he hurt his shoulder when hit by a defensive end. Granted, the blocking wasn’t great on the play, but his ability to sense pressure needs some work. And QB’s like this tend to get hurt. Geno Smith got hurt this year by not getting rid of the ball.
There is this foolish narrative out there that Chan Gailey was too conservative with Petty last week and needs to take the shackles off.
That is bogus (aside from that 3rd-and-11 running call).
Petty put the shackles on himself. He was gun shy too often, afraid to pull the trigger on longer passes. Like a lot of young quarterbacks, he too often didn’t trust his eyes. You saw plays where the ball fell from his hand because he was about to throw, but tried to pull back. Like a lot of young QB’s, he was very indecisive.
Look, I’m not writing him off. He’s young. There is still time for him to grow, but right now, he’s still a major work-in-progress.
And I’m taking Todd Bowles at his word.
He said the other day, he will play the QB who “gives him the best chance to win.”
That is Ryan Fitzpatrick right now.
If Bowles tries to spin next week that Petty gives him the “best chance to win” against New England, he can talk to the hand.
That is bull.
Like I said, there are two different issues at work here.
Best chance to win – Fitzpatrick.
Look to the future – Petty.
They are not the same thing.
November 16, 2016
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