It's been said that too many cooks spoil the broth. For the Jets this week, the opposite may be true. With two veteran quarterbacks on the bench with injuries, they have one Cook who may get the chance to stir the Green & White's offensive pot.

And Brady Cook was off and frying, er, flying at Wednesday's practice as he took over the first offense's reins in practice.

"It was a great opportunity," he said after the workout. "We prepared well today, we had a good practice. We need to do it again tomorrow. It was different for sure. Just a part of the process."

The ingredients of the process at QB have changed dramatically in a short time. Cook got extended action last week against Miami when Tyrod Taylor left with a groin injury after two three-play series. But as attentive as the free agent rookie from Missouri had been to learning all he could from Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields, sidelined last week with a knee injury, he didn't get first-team reps before meeting the Dolphins.

This week that has changed. Head coach Aaron Glenn said before practice that "we'll see how the week progresses" regarding Taylor's and Fields' injuries, who his starter will be, and how the depth chart will align against the Jaguars. But Cook has a shot at becoming the 12th QB since 2000 to make his first pro start as a Jet.

"There were a lot of learning experiences, for sure, on Sunday," he said of watching the game video of his and the Jets' performance against Miami. "Some good stuff, some stuff I need to clean up, especially at the end of the half — we need to take points there. But also some great flashes from the offensive line up front, the receivers, the running backs, myself, and we need to build on it.'

Cook in fact showed he can be a quick study. Despite being thrown into the fire in the first quarter, he built on a struggling first half with a saucier final 30 minutes.

"Yeah, I think getting back out there in the second half, it definitely started to slow down," he said. "The first few series were definitely quick, you might not be trusting it yet, you might put a little extra heat on it because things are moving fast. In the second half it definitely started to slow down and I started to see it better."

Even though the Jets offense produced 3 points in the 34-10 loss, Cook's passing numbers by halves gave a glimpse of the upward trend in his game:

So did his composure. His wideouts were among his teammates who noticed

"When people talk about the 'it factor,' he's one of those guys who's got it," WR Isaiah Williams said. "It's just development, giving him time. During the week, you don't get to take that many live reps with the ones. Now you've got different receivers you haven't thrown to. All that stuff plays a factor. But mentally, he showed me he's got it."

Practice week under the circumstances could seem woefully short, but Cook is feeling the relativistic effects of time as he gets more first-team exposure the next few days,

"I think it builds a level of comfort," he said. "I'll just continue to bank the reps. Every rep I get this week is so valuable. I'm going to take advantage of the long week to prepare and just take advantage of them. They're important."

They're particularly valuable as the Jets head to Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are lying in wait. They're won four in a row to hold a one-game edge on Houston and Indianapolis in the AFC South standings, they're ranked ninth in the NFL in points, first in rush yards allowed/game, eighth in yards allowed/pass play, and tied for second in interceptions (15) and takeaways (23).

It's enough to turn up the heat on a rookie free agent's kitchen. But Cook's demeanor heading into this potential new chapter in his young career could be just what the Jets need. Despite his lack of draft status, he played five seasons at Missouri, turning in 46 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions as the Tigers posted a 27-12 record in his last three starting seasons.

Getting the starting nod from AG would be a step up in class, of course, along with the nerves that come with it. But Cook is leaning on his football experiences and personality to boil down this weekend's potential assignment to the basics.

"Regardless of whether I was a first-round pick or undrafted, sitting here in this situation, I'm thinking about only one thing: How are we going to beat the Jaguars?" he said. "I really think it's as simple as that."