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Bryce Petty deserves more time with a better supporting cast in Jets' second preseason game — ahead of Geno Smith
MANISH MEHTA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 12:05 AM
I feared for Bryce Petty’s life last Thursday the way that sportswriters fear for any professional quarterback getting pulverized behind a horrific offensive line made up of nobodies on a sweltering summer night: A safe distance away in air conditioning.
By the time Petty’s performance in the Jets preseason opener was over, I nearly felt his pain. It’s a wonder the poor guy made it out of bed Friday morning after taking body blows from every conceivable direction. Heck, his teammate even crunched him once after failing to pick up a heat-seeking missile disguised as a blitzing cornerback.
Petty told me that he wanted to “Brett Favre it” before this most crucial preseason for him, making the same folks who decided to draft Christian Hackenberg in the second round think twice about their decision. He took it personally, because, well, he’s a human being. Who wouldn’t take such a slap in the face personally?
“There’s got to be some inspiring plays in there and some things that make them say, ‘Wow! Did you see Bryce?’” he told me before going 7-for-14 for 93 yards in five series in the Jets’ 17-13 win over the Jaguars last week. “That’s what I want them to say.”
How playing Madden has helped improve Bryce Petty's football IQ
It’s premature to throw Wrangler jeans and a gold jacket on Petty, but the second-year signal caller showed enough promise against the Jaguars to warrant more playing time with a better supporting cast in the second preseason game in Washington on Friday.
Todd Bowles maintained over the weekend that there’s no competition between Geno Smith and Petty for the No. 2 quarterback job, which runs contrary to the coach’s philosophy: Anybody can slide down the depth chart if the man below him seizes the opportunity and takes it away.
Bowles made that abundantly clear on the second day of camp when asked about whether the backup gig was up for grabs.
“It’s up for grabs if the other guys play well,” Bowles said less than three weeks ago. “It’s just like any other position. If you don’t play well, your spot is up for grabs, and if somebody comes in and takes it and if you let them take it, so be it.”
Jets can't give up on Bryce Petty, who's looking to prove himself
Bowles gave Ryan Fitzpatrick, Smith and Petty the Bowles treatment after the first preseason game. They each “played okay,” he said, which is relatively high praise from a coach who rarely publicly slobbers over any player.
Smith, the most experienced beardless quarterback on the roster, actually was just okay.
Bryce Petty deserves a chance to play with first-team offense. (BILL KOSTROUN/AP)
The mercurial former starter has waged the weirdest of boycotts against the media in recent days. Word on the street is that Smith was less than thrilled with a headline for a story chronicling the one-year anniversary of his locker room altercation with IK Enemkpali that ultimately cost him his starting job. (One of Geno’s handlers should inform him that reporters don’t write the headlines, but I digress.)
Smith took his displeasure to social media Sunday with a pair of tweets intimating that the media fabricates stories (INSERT EYE ROLL HERE), thereby needlessly creating a story at a time when he should be concerned about more important matters. A few minutes later, he tweeted that he was focused. By the way, focused people in any walk of life don’t waste time or energy tweeting that they’re focused to a bunch of strangers.
So, what's up with Geno Smith's subtweets? Jets backup QB upset
While Geno is doing Geno things, Petty deserves a chance to have at least one series with the first-team offense after Fitzpatrick gets his work in against Washington to better evaluate him as the brain trust considers keeping four quarterbacks. (Fitzpatrick played six series and into the middle of the second quarter in the second preseason game last year.)
The Jets should minimize Petty’s time behind the third-string line if they want to truly gauge his progress … and value his health. Consider Petty’s supporting cast in the preseason opener: He was throwing to two undrafted rookie receivers (Jalin Marshall and Robby Anderson), a seventh-round rookie (Charone Peake) and a second-year guy from Troy (Chandler Worthy). Petty’s running back: An undrafted rookie (Romar Morris).
Petty played behind the second-team offensive line for two drives before some guys named Jesse Davis and Mike Liedtke, who will be wearing a suit-and-tie and packing a lunch to work for their 9-to-5s soon enough, came in to “protect” him. In a feat that would surely baffle chemists everywhere, the offensive line turned from a solid to a liquid.
Petty was unofficially pressured on eight of 17 drop backs. He was hit four times and sacked twice. There were too many culprits to count. How bad did it get? On third-and-5 late in the fourth quarter, Morris was late trying to pick up a blitzing cornerback. He made a last-second attempt to block the rusher, but drilled Petty, who was sandwiched between friend and foe.
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Petty was effective out of familiar traditional shotgun and pistol formations. He displayed good functional mobility when the pocket frequently collapsed. He looked sharp on designed rollouts/bootlegs. He had a teammate drop a pass and another one give questionable effort on a play that Ricky Watters would have approved (See: “For Who? For What?”).
The Jets’ search for a franchise quarterback has been an annoying and painstaking endeavor. The powers that be owe it to themselves to fully evaluate Petty this preseason. It makes perfect sense to give him more time with a better supporting cast in Washington.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...ource=twitter.com&utm_campaign=mmehta+twitter
MANISH MEHTA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 12:05 AM
I feared for Bryce Petty’s life last Thursday the way that sportswriters fear for any professional quarterback getting pulverized behind a horrific offensive line made up of nobodies on a sweltering summer night: A safe distance away in air conditioning.
By the time Petty’s performance in the Jets preseason opener was over, I nearly felt his pain. It’s a wonder the poor guy made it out of bed Friday morning after taking body blows from every conceivable direction. Heck, his teammate even crunched him once after failing to pick up a heat-seeking missile disguised as a blitzing cornerback.
Petty told me that he wanted to “Brett Favre it” before this most crucial preseason for him, making the same folks who decided to draft Christian Hackenberg in the second round think twice about their decision. He took it personally, because, well, he’s a human being. Who wouldn’t take such a slap in the face personally?
“There’s got to be some inspiring plays in there and some things that make them say, ‘Wow! Did you see Bryce?’” he told me before going 7-for-14 for 93 yards in five series in the Jets’ 17-13 win over the Jaguars last week. “That’s what I want them to say.”
How playing Madden has helped improve Bryce Petty's football IQ
It’s premature to throw Wrangler jeans and a gold jacket on Petty, but the second-year signal caller showed enough promise against the Jaguars to warrant more playing time with a better supporting cast in the second preseason game in Washington on Friday.
Todd Bowles maintained over the weekend that there’s no competition between Geno Smith and Petty for the No. 2 quarterback job, which runs contrary to the coach’s philosophy: Anybody can slide down the depth chart if the man below him seizes the opportunity and takes it away.
Bowles made that abundantly clear on the second day of camp when asked about whether the backup gig was up for grabs.
“It’s up for grabs if the other guys play well,” Bowles said less than three weeks ago. “It’s just like any other position. If you don’t play well, your spot is up for grabs, and if somebody comes in and takes it and if you let them take it, so be it.”
Jets can't give up on Bryce Petty, who's looking to prove himself
Bowles gave Ryan Fitzpatrick, Smith and Petty the Bowles treatment after the first preseason game. They each “played okay,” he said, which is relatively high praise from a coach who rarely publicly slobbers over any player.
Smith, the most experienced beardless quarterback on the roster, actually was just okay.
Bryce Petty deserves a chance to play with first-team offense. (BILL KOSTROUN/AP)
The mercurial former starter has waged the weirdest of boycotts against the media in recent days. Word on the street is that Smith was less than thrilled with a headline for a story chronicling the one-year anniversary of his locker room altercation with IK Enemkpali that ultimately cost him his starting job. (One of Geno’s handlers should inform him that reporters don’t write the headlines, but I digress.)
Smith took his displeasure to social media Sunday with a pair of tweets intimating that the media fabricates stories (INSERT EYE ROLL HERE), thereby needlessly creating a story at a time when he should be concerned about more important matters. A few minutes later, he tweeted that he was focused. By the way, focused people in any walk of life don’t waste time or energy tweeting that they’re focused to a bunch of strangers.
So, what's up with Geno Smith's subtweets? Jets backup QB upset
While Geno is doing Geno things, Petty deserves a chance to have at least one series with the first-team offense after Fitzpatrick gets his work in against Washington to better evaluate him as the brain trust considers keeping four quarterbacks. (Fitzpatrick played six series and into the middle of the second quarter in the second preseason game last year.)
The Jets should minimize Petty’s time behind the third-string line if they want to truly gauge his progress … and value his health. Consider Petty’s supporting cast in the preseason opener: He was throwing to two undrafted rookie receivers (Jalin Marshall and Robby Anderson), a seventh-round rookie (Charone Peake) and a second-year guy from Troy (Chandler Worthy). Petty’s running back: An undrafted rookie (Romar Morris).
Petty played behind the second-team offensive line for two drives before some guys named Jesse Davis and Mike Liedtke, who will be wearing a suit-and-tie and packing a lunch to work for their 9-to-5s soon enough, came in to “protect” him. In a feat that would surely baffle chemists everywhere, the offensive line turned from a solid to a liquid.
Petty was unofficially pressured on eight of 17 drop backs. He was hit four times and sacked twice. There were too many culprits to count. How bad did it get? On third-and-5 late in the fourth quarter, Morris was late trying to pick up a blitzing cornerback. He made a last-second attempt to block the rusher, but drilled Petty, who was sandwiched between friend and foe.
Follow the Daily News Sports on Facebook. "Like" us here.
Petty was effective out of familiar traditional shotgun and pistol formations. He displayed good functional mobility when the pocket frequently collapsed. He looked sharp on designed rollouts/bootlegs. He had a teammate drop a pass and another one give questionable effort on a play that Ricky Watters would have approved (See: “For Who? For What?”).
The Jets’ search for a franchise quarterback has been an annoying and painstaking endeavor. The powers that be owe it to themselves to fully evaluate Petty this preseason. It makes perfect sense to give him more time with a better supporting cast in Washington.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...ource=twitter.com&utm_campaign=mmehta+twitter
