The New York Jets are patiently waiting for Bryce Petty to develop, and he is using video games as a way to speed up that process.
The New York Jets know that Bryce Petty will need some time to learn the nuances of the NFL game after coming out of the spread offense at Baylor. They used last season as a red-shirt season, as Petty didn’t take a snap that mattered, as he never saw the field during the regular season.
The NFL has come a long way in teaching players and developing them. It used to be huge playbooks just with paper. Now there are tablets that have everything you need to know, giving players up to the second visuals and videos from plays that just occurred. But, Petty has found another way to learn the offenses and defenses of the NFL, and that is video games.
Yes, you read that right; video games. The thing your parents probably told you at one point or another in your life to stop playing because you don’t gain anything from it. But, Petty has found that video games can actually help, as he believes that his knowledge of the game has improved because he played the Madden NFL video game.
“I played Madden the other day, and it’s not just picking run plays anymore,” Petty told NJ.com Monday at teammate David Harris‘ charity golf outing. “It’s like, ‘Oh, they’ve got an under front [on defense].’ You start picking up things differently. That’s exciting for me.”
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While the style of learning may be unorthodox to some, the Jets will not complain as long as it is helping Petty understand the game and continue his development. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who is 64-years old, probably knows John Madden as a Super Bowl winning coach, not the namesake of an extremely popular video game, said he is okay with whatever helps Petty’s development.
Gailey also said that Petty has made big strides during his rookie season, something Petty also agrees with. “For me, where I was when they drafted me last year to where I am now, it’s night-and-day difference. For me, it’s a process. Just watching film, I’m seeing things,” Petty said.
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Petty has some competition now in 2016 second round pick Christian Hackenberg, so it is imperative that he continues the development that he showed last season. If he does not, he may lose out on a roster spot with the Jets.