Jets head coach Bowles, as had been his procedure all preseason, did not announce the starting quarterback or QB rotation before tonight's final preseason game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Bowles did say "everybody will be up" and said that Josh McCown, whom he named the Jets' starter for opening day at Buffalo, could play in this game.
But McCown is among Bowles' gameday captains tonight, and since all the gameday captains have dressed and played in the previous three preseason games this summer, it's probable that No. 15 will take a few snaps against the visitors from the other end of the New Jersey Turnpike.
If McCown does start, it will be only the second time in the last 12 summers that a Jets starting QB also started in the preseason finale against Philadelphia. Since Eric Mangini began the Jets practice of not playing most of his projected regular-season starters in this final summer game, only once since has the Jets' starting QB started vs. the Eagles — when Rex Ryan played then-rookie Mark Sanchez for the opening offensive series in the 2009 preseason finale.
Christian Hackenberg has played in all three preseason games and started Game 2 at Detroit and Game 3 last Saturday at the Giants. Bryce Petty has also played in all three preseason games. He injured his knee late vs. the Giants but said he would do everything he could to be ready to play against the Birds tonight.
Head Behind the Scenes Before the Preseason Finale
As for the Jets who will not dress and not play tonight, there are nine players on the list — WR Lucky Whitehead, CB Morris Claiborne, RBs Matt Forte and Marcus Murphy, S Rontez Miles, T Ben Ijalana, WR Quincy Enunwa, and TEs Eric Tomlinson and Jason Vander Laan.
The other three gamenight captains for the Jets besides McCown are WR Robby Anderson, DL Muhammad Wilkerson and LB Bruce Carter.
The Jets are wearing their green jerseys and white pants for tonight's game, the fifth time in six preseason home games that Bowles has gone with that combination. The Jets are 4-1 at home in the first five home games, 3-1 in green/white. The Eagles, the NFL's "other green team" (not counting the green and gold of the Packers), are wearing their white jerseys and white pants.
Veteran NFL official Tony Corrente is the referee. He has previously refereed 15 Jets games — three in the preseason games, 10 in the regular season, and the playoff games against Indianapolis after the 2002 and '09 seasons.
