Jets' Unorthodox QB Competition Has Left Many Confused
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Jets' curious quarterback competition continues.
Sure, Todd Bowles has said he'll probably have a decision Monday on his starter for Week 1 of the regular season. But it's unclear who'll be under center in the team's third preseason game on Saturday night against the Giants.
Will it be Josh McCown, who ran wind sprints on the side just to keep himself occupied Tuesday during practice? Or, will it be Christian Hackenberg or even Bryce Petty, both of whom have received the bulk of snaps this week?
"We've got to sit down and talk about it," Bowles said after practice Wednesday.
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He's keeping it all close to the vest, and he wouldn't even hint as to whether McCown could sit for the second straight preseason game. Or, whether Hackenberg could start. Or, whether all three could see time.
"We'll sit down and talk about it," Bowles said. "It's still early."
McCown has long been considered the front-runner to win the job, and that hasn't changed through three weeks of training camp practices.
But, it's a strange optic that McCown hasn't been given much time on the practice field in recent days — especially when the third preseason game is usually considered a last dress rehearsal for Week 1 starters.
McCown has played just one series, in the preseason opener, and it would be odd if he went into the regular season with only those seven game snaps under his belt this summer.
Bowles also said that people — media and fans, alike — should not read too much into the snap distribution between the quarterbacks the past few days.
"I don't, so you probably shouldn't," Bowles said. "We script it. ... I don't count the reps. We count the plays. We don't count which quarterback goes in. We see what we need certain people to do, and we put them in to do that."
Bowles did say early in camp that the plan was to get all three quarterbacks an even number of snaps in practice as training camp went along. McCown got the bulk early, so it could just be a case of letting the two youngsters get time.
NOTES: RB Matt Forte practiced fully for the second straight day after missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury. Bowles has not ruled him out to play against the Giants. ... LB Darron Lee missed his third straight practice with an illness. CB Morris Claiborne (shoulder), LB Lorenzo Mauldin (back), TE Jordan Leggett (sprained foot) and TE Jason Vander Laan (shoulder/pectoral) all sat out.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
