Is the Jets continuing to start Josh McCown worse than the Buttfumble?
We knew thought the New York Jets were going to be bad this year. Like, historically bad.
So why not have fun with it? Each week, we’ll highlight one lowlight from the team and ask our panel: Was it worse than the Buttfumble, arguably the greatest NFL blooper of all time?
This week, it's time to look toward the future for Gang Green. The team is 4-7 and with a pretty tough schedule ahead (vs. Chiefs, at Broncos, at Saints, vs. Chargers, at Patriots), the playoffs are a pipe dream.
So shoudn't the Jets kick the tires on one or both of their young backups in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg to see what they've got before considering a QB in next year's draft?
“He’s playing well right now,” Bowles said on Monday, via the Daily News. “Josh [McCown] is our quarterback.”
So is the decision to stick with a 38-year-old QB in a rebuilding year worse than the Buttfumble? Here's how our panel reacted:
Charles Curtis: I've consistently said in this space that the worst thing the Jets can do is win games. I'll also add that a lack of planning for the future is a glaring error -- the expectation is that the Jets will look hard at a quarterback in the upcoming draft, yet they have two QBs they've spent some time on grooming. Petty's in his third season and the Jets took Hackenberg with a valuable second-rounder last year. Is mishandling this situation worse than one hilarious but mostly meaningless play in a game the Jets were going to lose anyway? YES.
Nina Mandell: No. Josh McCown is a national treasure and we should be grateful that he still is holding onto a career in the NFL.
Steven Ruiz: I'm going to say yes, because the Jets actually have a say in whether McCown starts. They did not have a say in whether the Buttfumble was going to happen or not. And I agree with Charles. There is no upside to playing McCown. It looks like the Jets are giving up on Christian Hackenberg, but why not give him a chance to play in a real NFL game before doing so? Maybe he plays well enough to at least build up his trade value. Winning one or two more games than you would without McCown in the lineup isn't worth giving up a better draft position.
Nick Schwartz: It depends on your perspective. For Jets fans who simply want the best for the team long-term, yes, this is probably worse than the Buttfumble.
Still, if I'm Todd Bowles, I would prefer to remain employed and would therefore give myself the best chance at winning each week. New York's lost two straight, and if that extends to a seven-game slide by the time the season's over, Bowles is gone.
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