Content available exclusively for subscribers
Morris County – What are they trying to accomplish on Saturday? This is tough to answer. Let’s take a closer look.
On Saturday, the Jets travel to Foxboro to play the New England Patriots.
What do they want to get out of this experience? Player develop or trying to win?
You might say they have no chance in this game no matter who they play, so what is the difference?
But let’s not forget a few weeks ago they took the Patriots to the end in a very close game at MetLife Stadium. So to say they can’t at least hang with them isn’t accurate.
After the Jets loss to Miami, a Jets official approached me to discuss some of my questions to Todd Bowles after the game. He was very polite and courteous. It was a mature conversation between two grown men. I have no problem with this.
I had asked Bowles if the personnel deficiencies on the team were hurting him.
I know he wouldn’t answer. He wouldn’t throw Mr. Coffee under the bus. But sometimes you need to ask questions even though you know they won’t be answered.
If you want to anoint blame for the Jets’ bad season, I think Bowles, Maccagnan and Woody Johnson (the man behind the disastrous Revis signing) are equally to blame.
The official was saying to me that the Jets were in the game until the third quarter when some young players made some key mistakes – like Burris getting beat deep by Kenny Stills and Brandon Wilds got beat for a blocked punt run in for a touchdown.
The philosophical chat I had with this individual was interesting. The Jets are trying out young guys on the job, giving them some experience, seeing what they bring to the table, since they are out of the playoff hunt.
That is fine, but my point to them is – I understand what you are doing, but are you also trying to win? Sometimes you can’t have it both ways. They believe they are going both.
So looking at this week’s game. If the Jets start Bryce Petty in New England against Tom Brady and the red-hot Patriots, they are bringing a knife to a gun fight. To me they have no shot. Did you see how well New England played on defense in Denver, allowing three points, against a young second-year QB learning on the job. Sound familiar. Petty and Trevor Siemian are on the same timeline.
Fitzpatrick isn’t an elite QB, but he’s proven in his three Jets’ starts against New England, he can deal with the complexities of Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia’s defense.
The Jets need to try to win this game for their karma and their culture. They are in a bad place right now after two home blowouts on National Television.
Petty has a chest contusion. If I’m the Jets, I start Fitzpatrick in New England, try to compete, and then go back to Petty for the season finale.
Petty against New England, playing hurt, in a loud stadium, against a complex defensive scheme. could be a deer in the headlights.
December 19, 2016
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Tuesday.
