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East Rutherford – A few different things to get into tonight following the Jets’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams. A few important items to cover. Let’s get into it . . .
Todd Bowles made a decision on Saturday about Bryce Petty starting, and somebody leaked it to WFAN.
Look, I don’t care about the WFAN thing, What I care about is that I reported what Bowles said about Ryan Fitzpatrick being a game-time decision on Sunday over-and-over and it was wrong.
Bowles led us astray. I need to be a better reporter than that and not fall for it. I’m sorry.
When I pressed a Jets official on why Bowles misled, I was told, he changed his mind.
And that is a brilliant way to spin any situation when you really think about it.
Anytime any coach or GM or whoever says, “We aren’t going to use C.J. Spiller as a kick returner.”
And then when they do, they can say, “I changed my mind.”
But honestly, what changed from Friday to Saturday. Fitz didn’t change. His knee was the same. Bowles could have waited until Sunday.
But I don’t want to make this about me. Getting back to football, my biggest problem with Bowles handling of the quarterbacks today came in the fourth quarter.
Petty had hit a mental wall. He wasn’t trusting his eyes, and the Jets weren’t moving the ball drive after drive after drive. The punter got quite a workout. The Jets were down 9-6. I’m putting Fitzpatrick in the game in the middle of the fourth quarter.
The Jets said he was available for “emergency situations.” Isn’t getting to 4-6 and keeping your season alive an “emergency situation?” Did any of you watching the game think that the way Petty was playing he was going to drive the Jets down the field for a game-winning touchdown or tying field goal?
My feeling was “no way.”
So you put Fitz in for the last two drives and see what he can do, even with his limitations.
To me, the Jets not doing that was waiving the white flag. I’m not writing Petty off, but like a lot of young quarterbacks, he was having problems processing what the Rams were doing, and reading defenses.
I felt there was no way he was going to lead the Jets back to tie or win the game.
If Fitz was healthy enough to be the backup, he was healthy enough to play the last two series.
As for who plays against New England.
“I’m trying to play the best player right now and win ball games,” Bowles said after the game. “It it’s Bryce, it’s Bryce. If it’s Fitz, it’s Fitz.”
So it’s a no-brainer. Fitz starts against New England.
Anybody who watched today’s game and thinks Petty is better than Fitz is delusional.
I’m not saying Fitz is great, but he gives you a better chance to win. You have to be a fool to think Petty is better now. That makes no sense.
For goodness sake, they scored six points today.
So if you are going to take Bowles at his word, Fitzpatrick will start against New England. And surely the NBC would love that.
Not that NBC should have anything to do with the Jets’ decision, but today’s game was almost unwatchable because of the two offenses.
November 13, 2016
