http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/petty-is-a-work-in-progress-1.1393004
The Jets made it clear when they selected Bryce Petty in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in May that they considered him a quarterback they could develop for the future, and not someone who would be a viable option to be a major contributor in 2015.
Petty certainly did nothing Thursday night to alter that assessment.
He played all but one series of the Jets' 23-3 loss at Detroit, and went 10-for-18 for 50 yards. His longest completion was merely 8 yards, and he failed to lead the Jets to any points.
Of course, Petty couldn't have imagined five days ago he would have entered the game as early as he did. He relieved veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick after one series. Fitzpatrick started because Geno Smith was out with a fractured jaw, courtesy of an ex-teammate's punch.
Smith underwent surgery Thursday to repair the jaw, with doctors using screws and plates to fix it, as opposed to wiring Smith's jaw shut. This type of procedure could allow him to return to action more quickly, former San Diego Chargers team doctor David J. Chao said in a tweet Thursday.
Still, no matter how fast Smith gets back, the Jets need a backup for Fitzpatrick before the regular season begins, and the green Petty didn't show enough to make the Jets feel comfortable with him being one play away from the starting job. Perhaps that's why the Jets brought free agent Matt Flynn in for a physical Friday, according to a source. Flynn was with New England earlier this summer but couldn't get off the PUP list because of a hamstring problem.
A signing of Flynn didn't appear imminent, however.
As for Petty, he admitted after the game, "It was a learning process. I had no idea what to expect. … I have a lot to learn. It's just a different game coming from what I was in [at Baylor] as far as system-wise.
"There are certain plays that, for whatever reason, I'm comfortable with," he added, "and there's certain plays that kind of have my head scratching a little bit."
Petty played in a spread offense at Baylor with very few reads in which he operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun, a big reason why he lasted until the fourth round despite his talent as a passer.
Petty indicated he expected to be inserted into the game after the second or third series, not the first. Coach Todd Bowles said he would have left Fitzpatrick in for one more possession had the Jets gone three-and-out under him. Instead, he drove them to their only points.
"I probably couldn't tell you," Petty said after the game, "the first three plays we called because I was so amped up."
Petty was victimized by dropped passes by wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and tight end Kellen Davis, but he also was inaccurate for much of the night and had trouble making quick, decisive reads.
"Bryce had a little bit of a tough time identifying the Mike," Bowles said, referring to the middle linebacker.
But the coach added, "Receivers have to get open, [the] offensive line has got to block more and they didn't click. [Petty] has got to get some experience and he'll be better next week, I'm sure, when he plays."
Fitzpatrick said he felt "comfortable" running the offense, although he rued his one incompletion.
"I wish I would have thrown a little bit better pass on the last one," he said, referring to a ball for tight end Jeff Cumberland that was slightly underthrown. "We would have stayed on the field and gotten seven points."
