Bryce Petty Replaces Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB for Jets in Week 13 vs. Colts

The New York Jets turned to Bryce Petty at quarterback Monday.

The Jets announced Petty came in for the team's first possession of the second half of New York's Week 13 game against the Indianapolis Colts in place of the struggling Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was 5-of-12 for 81 yards with an interception.

The Jets were trailing 31-3 when Petty entered the game. He would go on to complete 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards to go along with one touchdown and two interceptions in the 41-10 loss. After the game, Jets head coach Todd Bowles confirmed Petty will start the last four games of the season. 

Petty started the Jets' Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, but he underwhelmed in the 9-6 home loss. During the first start of his career, the second-year pro completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Compounding matters was a Nov. 17 report from the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta:

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There are rumblings on One Jets Drive that Bowles is concerned his team will check out if he plays the second-year signal caller against the Patriots on Nov. 27. 

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The cold harsh truth is that Petty, for all the improvements that he's made since entering the league from Baylor's spread system, still has a very long way to go before gaining faith from the organization. Eye witnesses in practice believe Petty is still so far behind Fitzpatrick and that Bowles would lose credibility with his players if he went with the inferior signal caller with six games left in the season.

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However, Fitzpatrick has not been lighting up box scores a year after completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards with a career-high 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Entering Monday's contest, the 34-year-old had completed 57.6 percent of his passes and tossed 10 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.

With the Jets firmly out of playoff contention, turning back to Petty at this point in the season makes sense.

While he may not be the team's quarterback of the future, the Baylor Bears product deserves an extended look with Fitzpatrick failing to hold up his end of the bargain after the Jets doled out $12 million to keep him in the fold.