The Jets' quarterback depth chart for the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium today got the official reshuffling this morning that looked to be inevitable at practices during the week.
Josh McCown, who started the Jets' first 13 games last season, will get the start against Buffalo, as head coach Todd Bowles announced Thursday.
And rookie QB Sam Darnold, who started the Jets' first nine games this season — in fact taking every QB snap in those games — is inactive for the Bills with a foot strain he suffered coming out of Miami.
For Buffalo, rookie QB Josh Allen (right elbow) has been declared out for this game. With Derek Anderson (concussion) also out, the Bills will start Matt Barkley at QB with Nathan Peterman as his backup.
With Darnold out, the Jets signed first-year QB Davis Webb from their practice squad Saturday. Webb, with the Giants last year and this preseason, has yet to play a regular-season down in the NFL and Jets fans would prefer that if he gets in today, it would be to take a victory snap or two at the end of the game.
Also out for the Jets today is the man who would normally be snapping the ball to the QBs. C Spencer Long (finger/knee) will sit, with Jonotthan Harrison, who replaced him late against the Dolphins, getting his second starting assignment this year and his third in two years with the Jets.
And at WR, Robby Anderson, who missed the Vikings game with an ankle injury, then played against the Dolphins, will rest the ankle again today.
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However, CB Trumaine Johnson returns to the starting lineup as expected after missing the previous five games with a quadriceps injury. Thus, the Jets' starting secondary will be reunited for only the second game this season and for the first time since Game 4 at Jacksonville. S Marcus Maye missed the first three games for Johnson went out with his strain in Game 5.
This is the Jets' full inactive list for today's game:
- WR Robby Anderson
- QB Sam Darnold
- WR Deontay Burnett
- CB Rashard Robinson
- CB Derrick Jones
- C Spencer Long
- DL Folorunso Fatukasi
And the Bills' inactives:
- QB Derek Anderson
- QB Josh Allen
- RB Chris Ivory
- G Ike Boettger
- T Conor McDermott
- TE Charles Clay
- DE Trent Murphy
The Jets are wearing their green jerseys and white pants today. The Jets in green/white under Bowles are 8-10 overall and 7-8 at home. They've worn green/white against the Bills only once under Bowles, for the 30-10 win in the 2016 season finale at MetLife. In the other two home games vs. Buffalo, both on Thursday nights, the Jets wore their kelly green Nike Color Rush unis.
Today's referee is Ron Torbert, who is refereeing his fifth Jets game since 2014. His previous Jets games as ref came at San Diego in 2014, the Monday nighters against Miami in '14 and Indianapolis in '16, and last year at New Orleans.