The Honeymoon Is Over

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When quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick joined the New York Jets in 2015, he was the best thing since sliced bread. Fitzpatrick was expected to compete with Geno Smith to become the Jets starting quarterback, but when Smith suffered a broken jaw in the off-season due to an altercation with former teammate Ik Enemkpali, it opened the door for Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick would have his best year in the National Football League as he threw 31 touchdown passes and fell 95 yards shy of being just the second player in Jets franchise history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season. The Jets would enter their final game of the season needing to beat the Buffalo Bills in order to secure a playoff berth, however they would lose the contest 22-17 as their playoff hopes vanished. And a big reason for the loss was Fitzpatrick who was intercepted 5 times by the Bills.

This past off-season would see Fitzpatrick become a free agent and he was looking to cash in off of his 2015 campaign. But whereas that Fitzpatrick was seeking a lucrative long-term deal, the Jets didn’t see him in that fashion as both sides played the waiting game. It wasn’t until late July that Fitzpatrick and the Jets agreed on a one-year deal that is worth $12 million. And although that Fitzpatrick has been compensated handsomely by the Jets, he hasn’t endeared himself to the team’s fan base here in 2016.

Through four games the Jets are 1-3 with Fitzpatrick being a big reason for that. Fitzpatrick has already thrown 10 interceptions compared to 15 for all of last season. In the Jets Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Fitzpatrick was picked off 6 times, while he threw 3 more this past Sunday in New York’s 27-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. And once you factor in the 2015 season finale against the Bills, Fitzpatrick has now thrown 15 interceptions in his last five games as New York is 1-4 in those contests.

The best way to describe Fitzpatrick is that he is a journeyman. In 12 National Football League seasons, Fitzpatrick has suited up for six different teams, and he has never appeared in a postseason game. Fitzpatrick’s career record is 44-64-1 as he is solid backup quarterback as opposed to being a starter.

What made Fitzpatrick so good for the Jets last year was the fact that he trusted the talent around him and he didn’t attempt to take the game over by himself. The Jets were able to run the football effectively, while Fitzpatrick also made it his business to get the football to wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. But this time around Fitzpatrick has been forcing the football more which has led to the interceptions. Fitzpatrick has not been running as much this year, while the Jets are not properly using running back Matt Fotre either.

The Jets signed Forte during the off-season and after he had 196 yards on his first two games with Gang Green, he only has 92 in the last two contests. And whenever a team has a struggling quarterback on their hands, it is imperative that they find a way to run the football.

Things could go from bad to worse for the Jets as four of their next five games are on the road, including this Sunday’s meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And as teams will be pinning their ears back defensively in order to come after Fitzpatrick, if he doesn’t improve his play, it will be prudent for the Jets to give someone else a chance to be their starting quarterback.

Smith is set to become a free agent after this season and the Jets should give him one more shot before they make their final decision on him. Quarterback Bryce Petty was a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2013, but he has yet to see the field for them in the regular season, while Christian Hackenburg was New York’s second-round selection this past April as he could be the future at starting quarterback for this organization.

Whereas Fitzpatrick was giving the Jets an opportunity to win nearly every time that he took the field last year, his play has really hamstrung them here in 2016 as “Fitzmagic” appears to be a thing of the past.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com

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By | 2016-10-05T14:40:47+00:00 October 6th, 2016|Categories: National Football League|Tags: , |0 Comments

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