DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 10: Quarterback Bryce Petty #9 of the New York Jets passes against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter of a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 10, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

The time is now for Bryce Petty to prove his worth and show that he’s more than capable of being a franchise quarterback for the New York Jets. Here are some early expectations for him as he prepares for his first start since last season.

Unfortunately for the New York Jets, they were hit with one of the biggest injuries of the season. Quarterback Josh McCown broke his hand last week against the Denver Broncos and is out for the rest of the year. Quarterback Bryce Petty now gets the nod to start for the Jets as they once again have a tough road game coming up in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints.

Petty is no stranger to starting as he did it last season when he also stepped in to start due to injuries to the starting quarterbacks ahead of him. Unfortunately for Petty, he didn’t show enough last year that would make fans and decision makers on the Jets scream “franchise quarterback” as he looked raw and well, a bit behind in the core fundamentals to be a successful quarterback.

Last season in the games he started, Petty went 1-3 and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. Of course, at the time, he still needed more development since clearly, he wasn’t ready yet to start but had to due to injuries.

The writing is on the wall for Petty since if he is unable to show any sign of improvement or well, any reason worth keeping him around for 2018, he could be on his way out. The Jets have the Saints coming up and their defense is a stout one. They’re very good against the run and especially against the pass so needless to say, Petty is going to have his work cut out for him.

Petty will need to have a gameplan that caters to his strengths, which is medium to long passes since he has a decent arm and establishing a ground game to relieve some pressure off his shoulders so it’s not all on him to be successful on offense. The Jets aren’t going to win having Petty throw for 40+ times a game but a simple game plan with an emphasis on the ground game should put him in a position to succeed.

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Overall, expect to see Petty execute a very simple and well, basic offensive game plan so he can build up some confidence to get the job done. Can Petty ultimately do well against the upcoming Saints? It’s highly unlikely but he will more than likely have a decent game with something worth building upon to finish the season on a high note. Early expectations for Petty aren’t good in this Week 15 matchup but here’s hoping these past few months on the sideline have helped developed him further to put him back in a positive light.