Geno Smith might just be the most unlucky quarterback in NFL history. I can firmly state this after watching Sunday's surprise win for the Jets over the Baltimore Ravens.
After Geno was declared the starter for Week 7, Fitzpatrick was the back-up, looming in the background on every play. Just like when Geno got punched in the jaw last year to give Fitzpatrick the starting job, Geno suffered an unfortunate ACL tear while getting sacked. Fitzpatrick came into the game and played solidly, leading the Jets to a 24-16 victory.
However, that win actually hindered the Jets in a way. The season is already over and winning games like this will only hurt their position in the upcoming draft. As I previously stated, there are few good quarterbacks that would be worth taking at number one or two if they were available on the board. But this article isn't about tanking anymore--it's about giving the young guns a shot.
Next week the Jets travel to Cleveland to face the winless Browns in what may be the deciding game in whomever gets the first pick. The Browns are almost assured the first pick due to their sheer awfulness. Nonetheless, if the Jets can somehow lose that game, they'd have a chance to supplant the Browns as the league's worst team.
So again, Coach Bowles. I plead to you. Start either Petty or Hackenberg. Not because I like seeing people suffer and my team lose. It's more than about tanking. It's about the future of this franchise.
What if Petty or Hackenberg ball out? What if either one starts a win-streak and shows promise and potential down the stretch? What if we don't need to look to the draft because we already have our franchise QB sitting on the bench, clipboard in hand? We'll never know the answers if Bowles doesn't take a shot with one of the youngsters.
If there is anything that I do miss about Rex is that he liked to take chances. He's a gambling type of coach, both to his benefit and detriment. Todd Bowles is the antithesis of that coaching type. He's shown it in his conservative play calling, or his lukewarm commitment to his quarterbacks. At this point in his young head coaching career, Bowles has earned the reputation of being overly conservative.
Well, here's your chance to prove me wrong. Even more, here's your chance to possibly save your job. It's no guarantee that Bowles will be back next year if the Jets keep underperforming with Fitzpatrick. However, Bowles would have an alibi if the Jets stunk it up with one of their quarterbacks that has yet to take a snap in the NFL.
So for the sake of the team, for the sake of the future, and for his own sake, Bowles should look at next week's game as a new beginning. A beginning that's either the end of Petty or Hackenberg as the answer, or the beginning of the search for the answer at QB. Geno is out. Fitzpatrick isn't the answer. It's time to start the process.
