Jets starting Petty at QB over injured Fitzpatrick

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Move over Fitz Magic. It's Petty Time.

Bryce Petty is starting at quarterback for the New York Jets on Sunday, replacing an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Los Angeles Rams.

It is the first regular-season NFL start for Petty, a fourth-round draft pick out of Baylor last year.

Fitzpatrick was listed as questionable with a sprained left knee , suffered last weekend at Miami. Petty filled in briefly, going 2 of 2 for 19 yards before Fitzpatrick returned.

Coach Todd Bowles said throughout the week that Fitzpatrick would remain the starter for Sunday's game - as long as he was healthy enough to play. The Jets apparently determined they'd prefer to go with the healthy but inexperienced Petty over the still banged-up Fitzpatrick. The two split first-team snaps during practice all week.

Fitzpatrick is active for the game and will serve as Petty's backup against Los Angeles. Rookie Christian Hackenberg is inactive.

Petty moved into the backup role behind Fitzpatrick a few weeks ago when Geno Smith was lost for the season with a torn knee ligament. Petty was on the roster bubble through training camp, but he injured his throwing shoulder in the preseason finale against Philadelphia and the Jets chose to carry four quarterbacks on their active roster, the only team to do so.

Petty missed the first several weeks with the injury before returning to practice and showed marked improvement in his grasp of Chan Gailey's offense during the last few weeks.

Since Joe Namath's last game with the Jets in 1976, Petty becomes the 29th quarterback to start for the franchise.

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