Jets' Bowles: Hackenberg had no chance to play well due to poor blocking

Christian Hackenberg got the starting nod for the New York Jets' second preseason game Saturday against the Detroit Lions, but was unable to do anything to convince he's worthy of the job long term.

The second-year quarterback went 2-for-6 for a paltry 14 yards, with his most notable play being the massive hit he took on his first dropback.

Hackenberg's protection didn't get much better after that. He was pressured several more times, and head coach Todd Bowles said after the game that the poor play of the offensive line meant it was an unfair environment to judge Hackenberg's progress.

"They really didn't give him a chance," Bowles said, according to Eric Allen of the Jets' official site. "They had a lot of pressure on him and he couldn't get a couple balls off. I don't think anybody can have a chance when we're blocking like that."

Hackenberg is a quarterback battle with veteran Josh McCown and third-year pro Bryce Petty, but none have been able to separate themselves from the pack through the first half of the preseason.

Despite his struggles against Detroit, Hackenberg believes he took away some valuable insight.

"I thought it was a good learning experience," Hackenberg said. "I think Detroit did a really good job watching the tape from last week. They did a really good job mixing up looks. A lot of credit to them. Overall, I thought it was a really good experience."