The Jets' defense will be missing several players due to injury in the team's Week five matchup against the Browns on Sunday in Cleveland.

OLB Josh Martin is out with an ankle injury, DE Kony Ealy is out with a shoulder injury, and two Jets' cornerbacks, Darryl Roberts (hamstring) and Justin Burris (foot), will also be out. Marcus Williams and Derrick Jones will be replacing them this week, according to NJ Advance Media.

RB Matt Forte (toe) and LB Josh Martin (ankle) wil also be out for the Jets. Christian Hackenberg and LB Obum Gwacham are healthy scratches.

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg has never taken a snap during the regular season with the Jets, but he is confident he could succeed under center in New York. 

The second-year quarterback out of Penn State told NJ.com that he believes he would be ready to go if given the opportunity this season. So far, all of the snaps at the position have been given to veteran Josh McCown. 

"I know I can play," Hackenberg said. "I was drafted where I was for a reason. I've been able to do the things I've done for a reason. I know there's talent inside me."

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

THE GAME

The Miami Dolphins (1-0) at the Jets (0-2) at the Meadowlands on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. ET.

Coverage on SNY:

Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter

The Jets surprisingly hung around for the best part of three quarters, but eventually the game slipped away from them and the Raiders came away with the anticipated blowout win. Aside from a couple of ill-timed turnovers, the run defense was the biggest issue in yesterday's game.

However, we're going to break down the performances on the offensive side of the ball first...

Bryce Petty will be the New York Jets' No. 2 quarterback for the near future, head coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday's 45-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum.

Bowles did not initially name a backup quarterback to Josh McCown. Although Petty was listed second on the depth chart prior to the season, he was inactive for New York's Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills due to a sprained MCL.

Christian Hackenberg, the Jets' 2016 second-round pick, was listed as inactive for Sunday's game.

Bryce Petty will be the New York Jets' No. 2 quarterback for the near future, head coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday's 45-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum.

Bowles did not initially name a backup quarterback to Josh McCown. Although Petty was listed second on the depth chart prior to the season, he was inactive for New York's Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills due to a sprained MCL.

Christian Hackenberg, the Jets' 2016 second-round pick, was listed as inactive for Sunday's game.

Seven Jets players are listed as inactive for the team's Week 2 matchup against the Raiders.

QB Christian Hackenberg, CB Derrick Jones, S Rontez Miles, LB Bruce Carter, OL Jonotthan Harrison, TE Eric Tomlinson, TE Jordan Leggett will not suit up on Sunday, according to the team.

QB Bryce Petty, who missed last week's game, is active and will be the backup behind QB Josh McCown. WR Jeremy Kerley and TE Neal Sterling will also return after missing last week's game.

Dakota Dozier is slated to back up C Wes Johnson in the absence of Harrison, who suffered a concussion during practice this week.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

A year after finishing with the sixth-worst record in the NFL, the Jets are expected to be among the league's worst teams in 2017. How bad are they supposed to be? Maybe not historically bad as some suggest, but they are still in a rebuild.

LAST YEAR

5-11, last place AFC East

Jets head coach Todd Bowles is not yet ready to name a backup quarterback, he told reporters on Wednesday.

The Jets begin the season on Sunday against the Bills in Buffalo at 1 p.m.

Bryce Petty was listed as the backup to Josh McCown, with Christian Hackenberg the third-string quarterback, on the unofficial depth chart released by the Jets on Tuesday.

Bowles announced recently that McCown, who signed a one-year deal during the offseason, would be the starter.

The Jets' defense kept the Eagles from scoring on the final possession to secure a 16-10 win in the preseason finale on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

Josh McCown completed six of his eight passes, Spencer Paysinger led the Jets' defense with seven tackles, and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins had two catches and a touchdown in his final game before beginning a two-game suspension.

McCown, who threw for 57 yards, is "all good" after getting the wind knocked out of him, said head coach Todd Bowles. Bryce Petty did not play, but Christian Hackenberg completed just 10 of his 22 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. 

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Todd Bowles has already made the most important decision of the season for the Jets -- at least until he decides who his next quarterback will be. And at the moment, he's OK with going into the regular season with a starter who has thrown four passes all preseason long.

That's unconventional, to say the least. And who knows? Maybe Bowles will defy convention and risk playing McCown in the Jets' preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Whether he does or not, though, he's still got a bunch of other things he needs to figure out with this team before they head to Buffalo for opening day.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets weren't delusional when they used a second-round pick on Christian Hackenberg in 2016. They knew he was a bit of a project. They knew his development would take time.

"As a young quarterback in the National Football League I don't think you just sign a contract and automatically become Peyton Manning," Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said on Monday. "There are going to be bumps in the road. There are going to be ups and downs. The great ones have to come back and learn from positive and negative experiences and grow from that."

That's true, but the only way to really know if the "great ones" are truly "great" is to get them on the field and see what they can do.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- There's a good chance Josh McCown won't play for the Jets on Thursday night, since teams often rest many of their starters in their preseason finale and they certainly can't afford for him to get hurt. That means it's possible he'll take the field on Sept. 10 in Buffalo having not taken a single snap in a game for 29 days.

Even for a 38-year-old, 15-year veteran, that has to be at least a little bit of a concern, right?

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It is completely counterintuitive that the New York Jets, a team in a painfully obvious rebuilding mode, will start a 38-year-old quarterback on Week 1. Josh McCown is not part of the Jets' future. He probably won't even be on the roster next year.

But Todd Bowles still absolutely made the right decision by naming McCown his starter.

Truth is, he never really had any other viable choice.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Josh McCown will start Week 1 against the Bills on Sept. 10.

McCown "gives us the best chance to win," Bowles said.

Bowles added that he wanted to see if either Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty stepped up and took the spot, noting that the starter was not determined before training camp.

"I'm just humbled for this opportunity and I look forward to making the most of it," McCown said after being named the starter.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archiv

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants found the end zone for the first time this preseason, but that doesn't change the story of who they still are. They are exactly what they were at the end of last season:

A team with a dominant defense and an offense with serious flaws.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - At least one Jets quarterback had a great night. And he didn't even have to take a snap.

Because if this game was about Todd Bowles trying to figure out if Christian Hackenberg had any shot at all of being his Opening Day starter, the answer was loud and clear. Hackenberg was awful, at least against the first-team defense in what turned into a 32-31 loss to the Giants on Saturday night.

The offense was abysmal. In the second half, against the Giants' second- and third-team defense, Bryce Petty was impressive, but even before he suffered a knee injury late in the game, he probably wasn't a serious contender for the starting job.

Bryce Petty and the Jets stormed back after falling behind 29-3 at the half, scoring three touchdowns in the final two quarters, but a failed two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter doomed the comeback attempt in a 32-31 preseason loss to the Giants on Saturday >> Box score

Petty, who left in the second half with a knee injury, was 15-for-18 and threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg returned after Petty's injury and finished 12 for 21 with a touchdown and two interceptions. Veteran quarterback Josh McCown did not play.

Matt Forte had 10 carries for 43 yards and two catches for one yard, while Bilal Powell had a big day receiving, hauling in four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also had seven carries for 32 yards. ArDarius Stewart had four receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns for the Jets.

The Jets, who scored 28 points in the second half, limited the Giants' offense to just three points in the final two quarters. Julian Stanford had eight tackles, including two for a loss, while Lawrence Thomas had five tackles. Buster Skrine had two tackles and two pass deflections and Marcus Williams broke up three passes. Sheldon Richardson had a sack and Juston Burris had an interception.

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Todd Bowles plans to name his starting quarterback sometime early next week, which means his answer should become pretty clear by late Saturday night.

Unfortunately at the moment there's nothing clear about it at all.

The 2016 Cleveland Browns finished 1-15, ranking 28th in passing offense, 27th in receiving offense, and 31st in total yards allowed. Are the 2017 Jets worse?

According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the answer is yes.

"FPI believes the Jets are 7.9 points worse per game than the average NFL team, whereas the Browns were minus-7.4 last preseason, and it thinks all three parts of the Jets are a liability. The gruesome details: 5.2 points worse than average on offense, 2.1 points worse on defense and 0.6 points worse on special teams."

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said he will "probably" name a starting quarterback next Monday.

Bowles said on Monday that he wants to first watch film of Saturday's game against the Giants before making an announcement. The Jets will conclude their preseason schedule with a matchup against the Eagles at home on August 31.

Christian Hackenberg could only complete two passes, the Jets' defense failed to contain Matthew Stafford, and the Lions beat the Jets, 16-6, in the second preseason game.

Hackenberg was sacked twice and completed two of his six passes. During the Jets' opening drive, Hackenberg fumbled after he was hit by Detroit's Cornelius Washington, but the Jets recovered. Bryce Petty completed 15 of his 24 passes for 160 yards and threw an interception for the Jets, who were 4-for-13 on third down.

Myles White led the Jets in receiving with three catches for 43 yards, while Jordan Leggett hauled in two catches for 40 yards. Bilil Powell carried the ball nine times for 32 yards as the Jets were unable to get much going in the running game.

Darron Lee and Morris Clairbone had five tackles to lead the Jets on defense, while Demario Davis, Josh Martin, and Corey Lemonier each had a sack. >> Box score

The Jets are undefeated, which at the moment is insignificant. But really, given all the predictions of doom and gloom, some people probably thought they wouldn't even end up with one preseason win.

They did, but it wasn't pretty (7-3 over the Tennessee Titans at home last Saturday), and they barely answered any of the many, many major question marks surrounding their season and long-term future. Maybe their game in Detroit against the Lions on Saturday night will provide a few more clues about the direction they're headed.

In the meantime, here are five things worth watching at Ford Field tonight:

While New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles did name a starting quarterback for Saturday's preseason game against the Detroit Lions, he is expected to give Josh McCown more playing time.

McCown, who did not get receive any reps at Thursday's practice when the Jets did game-plan prep, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini, played the opening drive last week in New York's 7-3 win over the Tennessee Titans, but Christian Hackenberg then played the following eight possessions.

Bowles said he didn't anticipate any lineup changes, but left the door open to it by saying, "we'll discuss it."

With Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty still early in their NFL careers, Josh McCown is taking a leadership and mentorship role at quarterback in his first season with the Jets. 

"Every quarterback goes out there and they want to finish each drive with a touchdown, so when those things are happening, there is kind of an inner fight of, man, do I need to do more?" McCown said, according to Newsday. "Things happen and you get kind of delayed, but the fight as a quarterback is to stay in the system, stay within the game and don't be greedy and force the ball. So my hat is off to both of them for not doing that."

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The last time anybody saw Christian Hackenberg in a game was the preseason finale almost a year ago. It was a disaster. He completed just 11 of 31 passes for 54 yards and threw an interception, too.

It was a much, much different and better Hackenberg that the Jets got to see on Saturday night.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The good news is the Jets really have no choice but to play most of their starters in their preseason opener. Or maybe that's the bad news given the low expectations for this team.

But Jets GM Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles have promised competition all summer long for almost every job on the roster, and the competition begins for real against the Tennessee Titans at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. Not all jobs are up for grabs, of course, but quite a few are.

Here's an inside look at some of the battles and 10 intriguing players to watch:

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The first play of the Jets' intrasquad scrimmage was a false start on the offense, which then went three-and-out on three of its first four drives.

It was a terrible, though hardly unexpected start. But there was a bright side.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has said over and over again this offseason how he's trying to build a "long-term future" for the Jets, not just a team that can be competitive for one year. He's doing it the right way, too, getting rid of high-priced veterans who stand in the way of talented, younger players.

Then why are the Jets almost certain to open the season with a 38-year-old starting quarterback in Josh McCown?

It's a fair question in light of the Jets' rebuilding effort. In a locker room filled with young players, McCown doesn't exactly fit in with the plan. But he's still the one getting most of the first-team reps at training camp. And Maccagnan wouldn't even hint at when the transition to the 22-year-old Christian Hackenberg will likely begin.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The word that defined the Jets during the offseason was "rebuilding" - unless, of course, you were Jets GM Mike Maccagnan. To him, it was all about "competition". And with a roster in flux, he certainly has created a lot of that.

Whether that's a good thing remains to be seen, and depends on the talent he has assembled. He will have plenty of training camp position battles to watch, though.

Here's a quick look at the Top 5..

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

It's hard to pick out the most important players on a team that has such low expectations. In the case of the Jets, tomorrow matters more than today, and the most important players now might not be part of their long-term future.

Or to put it another way: Who is more important - Josh McCown or Christian Hackenberg? A resurgence by McCown could cause the Jets to surprise some people. But is that more important than Hackenberg proving whether he can be the Jets' quarterback of the future?

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The evidence is hard to refute. They jettisoned almost every recognizable veteran they had. They didn't add any significant free agents. The veteran quarterback they added is a 38-year-old journeyman. The Jets were 5-11 last season, and it's hard to argue this year won't be worse.

So yes, it sure does look like the Jets are "tanking" this season, with their eyes on the top of next year's quarterback-rich draft. They're not, of course. Tanking is almost impossible to do effectively, especially in the NFL. But they are doing a bit of scorched-Earth rebuilding and know they are in for a long, losing season.

There'll be a lot of short-term pain. And intentional or not, for the long run that's not so bad...

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected starters: Demario Davis, Darron Lee

Projected backups: Bruce Carter, Connor Harris

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Preseason Stats: 17-for-47, 159 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 1-15 rushing, one fumble

Regular Season Stats: Did Not Play

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg and Defensive Lineman Sheldon Richardson break down Jets minicamp and their expectations for the season.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles insinuated the team's starting QB is job still up for grabs, noting Thursday that there is currently no frontrunner.

The Jets, who are expected to turn to Josh McCown as their starter, have also been giving reps to Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty.

McCown, 37, signed a one-year deal worth $6 million this offseason.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates has been impressed with Christian Hackenberg's passing in minicamp, according to Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News. 

Bates, who previously coached the team's quarterbacks in 2005, likes the precision of Hackenberg's passes thus far at camp. 

Jets QB Christian Hackenberg has been making lots of awful throws this spring -- first during OTAs and again on Tuesday when minicamp began.

A few of the team's beat writers tweeted during OTAs that Hackenberg had been hitting those on the sidelines with errant throws. On Tuesday at minicamp, one of those throws was filmed...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

It doesn't seem to make any sense that the Jets are rebuilding and going with young players at every position, but they will almost certainly be led by a 38-year-old quarterback. Everywhere else, the Jets purged their roster of veterans so the young players could get an unimpeded opportunity.

Yet McCown, who has no viable future with the Jets beyond this season, still stands in second-year pro Christian Hackenberg's way.

Jets quarterback Josh McCown said he has been working with younger quarterbacks Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty in the team's mandatory minicamp this week.

The veteran 37-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Jets this off-season, said Hackenberg and Petty have often asked him questions as they continue to learn the quarterback position.

Bent, theJetsBlog.com

Projected starter: Josh McCown

Projected back-ups: Christian Hackenberg, Bryce Petty

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Even with the Jets in full rebuilding mode -- or "tank" mode, depending on your interpretation -- it's still likely that 38-year-old Josh McCown will emerge as the starting quarterback on Opening Day. Christian Hackenberg's time is coming, but it'll probably have to wait a little longer.

Whenever it comes, though, the former second-round pick insists he's ready to play.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - He appears to be the third man in a two-man quarterback fight that might not turn into much of a fight at all. It's hard to completely predict how the Jets' summer quarterback battle will turn out, but one thing seems certain: Bryce Petty doesn't have much of a chance.

Don't try telling that to the 26-year-old Petty, though. He may not be the newly signed veteran, nor is he the second-round pick who they hope is the quarterback of the future. But he is the only QB on the roster who actually played quarterback for the Jets last season.

And if that makes him the underdog … well, he doesn't quite understand how.

The Jets have been pleased with QB Christian Hackenberg's performance so far this spring, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Hackenberg is in the mix with Bryce Petty and newly acquired veteran, Josh McCown, for the Jets starting quarterback position. Offensive coordinator John Morton told NJ.com that the QBs will be "getting the same amount of reps [with the starters] throughout the week." 

Hackenberg, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2016, has yet to see the field in regular season play. 

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - On the first day of spring practice, the Jets' presumed quarterback of the future was relegated to a far field to work with the third-stringers, while a 37-year-old journeyman got the first-team snaps on the main field. That's probably the way it'll be when training camp opens this summer.

But not definitely, because the Jets continue to insist that their quarterback depth chart is subject to change.

As they have all offseason long, the Jets insisted again on Tuesday that their quarterback competition will be wide open this year, and new offensive coordinator John Morton promised the three quarterbacks will all get reps with the first-team offense. On Day 1, Josh McCown got all the first-team snaps and Bryce Petty worked mostly with the second team, while off in the distance Christian Hackenberg worked with everyone else.

Jets QB Christian Hackenberg is more confident and comfortable heading in to his second season with the team, he said Monday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.

Hackenberg, who will battle with Josh McCown and Bryce Petty for the starting job, said he's excited about the opportunity.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said earlier this offseason that there will be an open competition for the starting quarterback job...

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

The Jets have seemingly been searching for a franchise quarterback since Joe Namath was wearing green. So it's no surprise that Namath doesn't want to see them waste any more time in their search.

The Jets legend made it clear that he wants to see Christian Hackenberg emerge as the starting quarterback for his old team this season, not the soon-to-be-38-year-old Josh McCown. Speaking before the United Way's Gridiron Gala in Manhattan on Tuesday night, Namath said he understands why the coaches might go with McCown.

But he said if there's a chance the 22-year-old Hackenberg is the future, then the future has to be now...

Former Jets quarterback Michael Vick, who doesn't know which quarterback will get the starting job this season, is not optimistic on the Jets' chances this year.

"Man, good luck," Vick said to Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com with a laugh. "I don't even know who the quarterback is going to be. Good luck. I know there's three of them."

The Jets do have three quarterbacks under contract, and will hold an open competition throughout training camp to determine who will be the starter. The team signed veteran Josh McCown to battle against youngsters Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.