The New York Jets are the NFL’s only winless team at 0-7 on the season heading into Sunday’s road game against the Cincinnati Bengals prompting first-year head coach Aaron Glenn to consider several different options for creating a spark.
Glenn hasn’t disclosed this week’s starting quarterback yet, just days after an uninspiring 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers that saw Tyrod Taylor lead his team in passing with 126 yards while Justin Fields threw for 46 yards.
On Thursday, former Jets linebacker Bart Scott was shown in a segment by SportsNet New York during which he took issue with Glenn’s secrecy regarding the announcement, citing its alleged negative effects on the the locker room’s atmosphere.
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Glenn Criticized by Ex-Jet Bart Scott
Scott called for Glenn to reveal his starting quarterback, predicting it would be Tyrod Taylor, while calling for an end to the Jets coach’s CIA-like approach.
“When you listen to the comments of (Jets owner) Woody (Johnson, on QB Justin Fields), you also look at the performance, then you know that they’re looking for a spark, so why not give Tyrod Taylor a legitimate shot to prepare as the starter, to know that he’s the starter, and for him to act like he’s a starter,” Scott said.
“But you know, the thing is, all this secret mission CIA stuff, come on, you’re not fooling anybody, right,” the former Jets linebacker added.
“I don’t think Cincinnati cares who the quarterback is, they’re going to have a plan for either quarterback.
“But what I think it does is, it creates a weird atmosphere in the locker room, when you’re saying, we all know who’s going to be the quarterback, and (with) the media, we’re going to pretend like we don’t know.”
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Jets’ Passing Game Faces Scrutiny
Johnson said that Glenn’s difficulty in winning so far this season has been largely due to the team’s low QB rating.
The Jets are currently ranked ninth in QB rating among all NFL teams through seven games with Taylor at 36.5 on the season and Fields at 31.8.
Fields’ superior touchdown-interception ratio (4-0 compared to 3-3 for Taylor) and dynamic running ability suggests that he could be the starter, but most indications point toward Taylor getting the nod Sunday.
Taylor has plenty of experience and is known as a caretaker of the football with a veteran leadership and presence sorely needed on a floundering Jets team headed toward the NFL season’s second half.
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