Jets coach Todd Bowles doesn't seem to have any patience for arm-chair general managers looking to develop his young quarterbacks for him.
He's sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick over Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg -- and that's the bottom line.
"For me to make a quarterback change, I'd have to have a quarterback controversy," Bowles said, via The New York Post. "Ryan is the starter. Bryce is the backup."
When asked how he could explain that decision when Fitzpatrick leads the league in interceptions and has an average quarterback rating of 67.6 -- Blaine Gabbert territory -- Bowles said this is a team game.
"Because Fitzpatrick is not the only one playing over there," Bowles said. "This is a team game. We lose games with more than just Fitzpatrick. We lose it with the offensive line, defensive line, (defensive) backs, linebackers, receivers, running backs. He's ultimately responsible for his position but not everybody else, and everybody else is responsible for their job."
Against the 3-5 Rams this Sunday, the Jets will essentially be treading water. There won't be a fan at that game who would rather see a quarterback that will almost certainly not be in Green and White next year over Petty, a potential trade asset or, at the very least, the solidified backup quarterback of the future. The Jets seem firmly committed to keeping Hackenberg, their second-round pick in 2016, on ice for an entire season.
With the Rams themselves waiting until they are firmly out of playoff contention to switch quarterbacks, they are essentially two peas in a pod. Sunday's game will be more about what could have been than what it is.
Interestingly enough, a loss by either team could end up motivating the other to ditch their place-holding starter. While no fan base roots for a mid-season loss, this could be one to keep an eye on.
UPDATE: On Friday, Bowles said Fitzpatrick (knee) is listed as questionable and a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup.
