Based on the fact the New York Jets overdrafted Christian Hackenberg in Round 2 this year, it seemed a safe bet they didn’t think too highly of Bryce Petty or Geno Smith. Perhaps now we can glimpse a hint of why Petty hasn’t quite yet wrested the starting gig with Gang Green.
Speaking with reporters at a charity golf event Monday, Petty said he was excited about his leap from Year 1 to Year 2 in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s system. He called it a “night-and-day difference,” per Daryl Slater of NJ.com.
He added:
“For me, it’s a process. Just watching film, I’m seeing things. I played Madden the other day, and it’s not just picking run plays anymore. It’s like, ‘Oh, they’ve got an under front [on defense].’ You start picking up things differently. That’s exciting for me.”
Okay wait a minute. Wait just one darn second.
You mean to tell me there are other plays on “Madden” than run plays?
Two words here: Mind. Blown.
All sarcasm aside, if that’s what’s exciting Petty about his development, then the Jets are in deep trouble.
It was understood when he was drafted out of Baylor that Petty needed time to adjust to a pro-style offense. Baylor runs exactly the opposite of a pro-style offense. But my goodness, the Jets did trade up to snag him in the fourth round, so they did have an idea he’d be a guy they could potentially mold into a starter.
Developmentally, recognizing an “under front” isn’t graduate-level material. That’s legitimately stuff a quarterback should know and understand before he gets to the NFL. It most certainly is not the kind of stuff he should be excited about being able to recognize in Year 2.
As awkward as things have been with this team’s quarterback situation, it just got worse.