Should Bryce Petty get another crack at the Jets' starting quarterback job after the bye, he wants to air the ball out a little more.
Aside from a 52-yard completion to wide receiver Robby Anderson on a deep ball out of his own end zone, Petty mostly stuck to the mid-range game in a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. He finished 19 of 32 for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
And while that seemed by design -- the vertical routes were either covered nicely or out of the question once Petty got there in his progression -- we could see offensive coordinator Chan Gailey adjust after the bye.
"I think there were definitely some opportunities there to go downfield," Petty said, via The New York Post. "I'll learn as I go when I can take those shots. It's not about being a game manager. You want to win. I don't like flirting with that line. I want to be me. I like slinging that ball around."
The next time we see the Jets (3-7) will be a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 27. By then, the rest of the AFC East will have firmly passed them by. Over and over, we've wondered why coach Todd Bowles was so slow to check out his younger quarterbacks in the first place. He was presented with a unique excuse Sunday because entrenched starter Ryan Fitzpatrick was dealing with a knee injury.
Bowles said he will not comment on his quarterback situation over the break.
But if Petty gets another chance, we certainly hope he can put a little more air under the ball. What's the worst that can happen? A 45-3 loss to the Patriots? Even that one had a happy ending.
