Jets' QB Bryce Petty Sees His Own Development ... While Playing 'Madden'
By Johnny Carey, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Largely forgotten among the likes of Geno Smith, second-round pick Christian Hackenberg and the probable re-signing of Ryan Fitzpatrick (did you know he went to Harvard?), New York Jets 2015 fourth-round pick Bryce Petty says he's starting to figure out defenses after a rookie season spent on the bench.
"For me, where I was when they drafted me last year to where I am now, it's night-and-day difference," Petty told NJ Advance Media on Monday. "For me, it's a process. Just watching film, I'm seeing things."
That sounds like great news for the Jets -- a QB is studying hard and developing. The only problem is that their quarterback is seeing those "things" in the exact same place you and I first decided we could be NFL quarterbacks -- "Madden." The video game.
"I played Madden the other day, and it's not just picking run plays anymore," Petty noted. "It's like, 'Oh, they've got an under front [on defense].' You start picking up things differently. That's exciting for me."
There's a lot to analyze in that gem of a quote. First of all, who plays "Madden" and only picks run plays? That's an absolutely preposterous move when you can score a TD on pretty much every drive while passing. Come on, Bryce.
Secondly, something tells me that being able to read a defense on "Madden" isn't exactly the best indicator of a quarterback's development. Bill Belichick, Rex Ryan, Wade Phillips, or literally any other NFL coach probably won't be running the same base package that shows up on the video game.
But you never know, I suppose.
So while the Jets have had a hard time finding a franchise quarterback over the years, the secret formula may have been right there in front of the team - figuring out the defenses of the "Madden" franchise.
Maybe the Jets should take a look at this game tape and sign one of these guys up:
Johnny Carey is a senior at Boston College. You can find him on Twitter@JohnnyCarey94.
