Chan Gailey on Jets' Bryce Petty: 'It helps to play in games'
By Connor Hughes
FLORHAM PARK -- It doesn't look like Jets' coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey see eye-to-eye on the best way to develop backup quarterback Bryce Petty. Ask Bowles, as he said via conference call Monday, and he'll tell you practice is just about all you need to get an accurate assessment of a player's ability. But Gailey? Well, Gailey believes players need repetitions. Game repetitions, that is. "[Petty] needs all of the work he can get," Gailey said Thursday. "Just like every young player needs all of the work they can get. It helps to play in games."
The Ryan Fitzpatrick - Bryce Petty quarterback topic has been the source of bar arguments the better part of a month. Fitzpatrick -- the NFL's worst statistical passer -- may give the Jets the best chance to win this year, but at 3-8, many want the Jets to turn their attention to the future. And unlike Fitzpatrick, Petty will be back with the Jets in 2017, competing to be the starter. The issue? No one quite knows what kind of a quarterback Petty is. If the Jets started him these final five games, it would give the team a month of film to evaluate. That's more than enough to get a reliable assessment of Petty's ability to be, or not be, a starting NFL quarterback. Best case? Petty cements himself. Worst case? The Jets realize they need to sign a veteran in free agency. It's a win-win situation either way. Fact will replace uncertainty. And while Bowles said you "don't have to play a person to see what they have," Gailey said it certainly helps. "It's like being able to evaluate somebody with 75 to 80 percent probability," Gailey said, "Or being able to evaluate somebody with 90 to 95 percent probability. "The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen. In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress." Drafted in the fourth round a year ago, Petty has been the Jets' developmental project. He (essentially) redshirted as a rookie, played well in the preseason this year, and started one game for an injured Fitzpatrick two weeks ago. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 9-6 loss to the Rams. There were plays he looked good. And plays he looked bad. Early assessment? Petty's a young quarterback who needs more time to make mistakes, learn from said mistakes, mature and grow. "We learned some things that we felt were his strong suits, and some things that we felt like he needed to work on," Gailey said. "Every time someone plays, you evaluate them. You learn something about them. You can go from there to try to help them get better." The question now is when, or rather if, Petty will see the field again. Bowles seems dead set on fielding the best team possible, future be damned.
Which means there's a very real chance Fitzpatrick finishes out this season as the Jets' starter.
By Connor Hughes
FLORHAM PARK -- It doesn't look like Jets' coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey see eye-to-eye on the best way to develop backup quarterback Bryce Petty. Ask Bowles, as he said via conference call Monday, and he'll tell you practice is just about all you need to get an accurate assessment of a player's ability. But Gailey? Well, Gailey believes players need repetitions. Game repetitions, that is. "[Petty] needs all of the work he can get," Gailey said Thursday. "Just like every young player needs all of the work they can get. It helps to play in games."
The Ryan Fitzpatrick - Bryce Petty quarterback topic has been the source of bar arguments the better part of a month. Fitzpatrick -- the NFL's worst statistical passer -- may give the Jets the best chance to win this year, but at 3-8, many want the Jets to turn their attention to the future. And unlike Fitzpatrick, Petty will be back with the Jets in 2017, competing to be the starter. The issue? No one quite knows what kind of a quarterback Petty is. If the Jets started him these final five games, it would give the team a month of film to evaluate. That's more than enough to get a reliable assessment of Petty's ability to be, or not be, a starting NFL quarterback. Best case? Petty cements himself. Worst case? The Jets realize they need to sign a veteran in free agency. It's a win-win situation either way. Fact will replace uncertainty. And while Bowles said you "don't have to play a person to see what they have," Gailey said it certainly helps. "It's like being able to evaluate somebody with 75 to 80 percent probability," Gailey said, "Or being able to evaluate somebody with 90 to 95 percent probability. "The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen. In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress." Drafted in the fourth round a year ago, Petty has been the Jets' developmental project. He (essentially) redshirted as a rookie, played well in the preseason this year, and started one game for an injured Fitzpatrick two weeks ago. He completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 9-6 loss to the Rams. There were plays he looked good. And plays he looked bad. Early assessment? Petty's a young quarterback who needs more time to make mistakes, learn from said mistakes, mature and grow. "We learned some things that we felt were his strong suits, and some things that we felt like he needed to work on," Gailey said. "Every time someone plays, you evaluate them. You learn something about them. You can go from there to try to help them get better." The question now is when, or rather if, Petty will see the field again. Bowles seems dead set on fielding the best team possible, future be damned.
Which means there's a very real chance Fitzpatrick finishes out this season as the Jets' starter.
