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Jets’ Fitzpatrick Can’t Afford Another Critical Mistake


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Ryan Fitzpatrick

By Glenn Naughton

 

During his team’s week 17 showdown against the Buffalo Bills last season, with a playoff shot on the line, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made what was easily his worst decision of what was an otherwise stellar season.

Down by 2 points from the Bills 15-yard line with just under 11:00 remaining in the 4th quarter, he dropped back and attempted to hit wide receiver Eric Decker in the end zone, failing to see cornerback Leodis McKelvin sliding in front of the receiver.  The result?  A momentum-changing interception by McKelvin that was the beginning of the end for Gang Green that day.

Fitzpatrick and the Jets offense came up short in a week 17 loss to the Bills.

Fitzpatrick and the Jets offense came up short in a week 17 loss to the Bills.

As bad as that decision was, is Fitzpatrick on the verge of making an even more foolish choice in regards to his current contract negotiations with the Jets?

If Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t wearing Jets Green and White when the 2016 season kicks off, we may have to reconsider Harvard’s position as an elite learning institution, while Fitzpatrick puts the wheels in motion toward getting a refund for the time he spent there.

Simply put, there are 32 starting quarterback jobs in the NFL.  All but one of those are filled, and the final spot has been promised to Ryan Fitzpatrick since the Jets season ended on that disastrous Sunday in Orchard Park, NY.  Fitzpatrick has made it clear that he intends to play in 2016 and obviously wants to start.  The chance to do both of those are sitting right in front of him, and if he allows this to drag on in to training camp, he’s taking a very foolish and unnecessary risk.

While Fitzpatrick does have his share of physical limitations, he’s always been sold as a quarterback who can make up for those shortcomings with his superior intelligence.  Finding a way to lose a starting job to a player who was voted the NFL’s worst player at his respective position two seasons in a row would be beyond embarrassing.

No, Geno Smith, his only real competition at this point, isn’t likely to beat him out.  However, under the guidance of the miracle-working Chan Gailey, it would be foolish to completely rule it out.  Gailey has gotten quality production out of several quarterbacks who have never had any measure of real success anywhere else along the way.  Who’s to say Smith won’t be next?

It’s now being reported that Fitzpatrick’s New Jersey mansion is up for rent, spurring some to speculate that negotiations have taken a downward turn.  However, it could also signal that a contract is forthcoming.  Any new deal will pay Fitzpatrick considerably more than the $3.25 million he made last season which could mean he’s looking to add room for his wife and five kids.

The Jets need Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick needs the Jets.  He couldn’t possibly find a way to drop the ball on this one.

Could he?

 

 

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34 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

How about more stories on the Jets number 1 draft pick? 

Sometime this week, for sure.  Trying to find a few different clips of him but not as easy since there's no college site to watch every single snap as there is with the NFL.

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I seriously don't care about Fitz at this point. He choked in the big game this season, which shouldn't have been a surprise given that he's been mediocre at best throughout his career. 

 

Time me to see if Geno has put the puzzle together in his mind and can play without making stupid mistakes.

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6 minutes ago, Freemanm said:

I seriously don't care about Fitz at this point. He choked in the big game this season, which shouldn't have been a surprise given that he's been mediocre at best throughout his career. 

 

Time me to see if Geno has put the puzzle together in his mind and can play without making stupid mistakes.

He showed he couldn't in his one game last year.  That was the last straw for me.  As usual he had his moments, as usual he looked good in parts of the game and as usual he came up with a couple of mindbogglingly awful plays at big times.

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18 minutes ago, SAR I said:

Time to rally behind Geno Smith, boys.

(Vomiting in mouth as typing this)

SAR I

I will if he's the starter, but I still expect Fitz back.

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2 minutes ago, AFJF said:

I will if he's the starter, but I still expect Fitz back.

Yes we all have to get behind the starter whoever it is and put these petty comments back and forth from both sides  in the past- hah wishful thinking on my part

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4 minutes ago, faba said:

Yes we all have to get behind the starter whoever it is and put these petty comments back and forth from both sides  in the past- hah wishful thinking on my part

I really think it's time for the bickering to stop.  The season is almost here and lively debate/arguing is a great way to kill time during the off-season, but TC is almost here.  Time to put the differences aside and root for every guy on the roster to do well.

I know there will be one or two people who can't handle civility and that's to be expected.  However, the overwhelming majority need to bury the hatchet(s).

My .02.

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not only is he a harvard grad, his wife is as well

he doesn't need the NFL as much as 99% of the players do

if he walks away, he is healthy and set for life

poor guy will have to get involved in a startup or venture capital gig

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18 minutes ago, Larz said:

not only is he a harvard grad, his wife is as well

he doesn't need the NFL as much as 99% of the players do

if he walks away, he is healthy and set for life

poor guy will have to get involved in a startup or venture capital gig

If you reference his wife you need to post s picture please!

 

image.jpeg

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49 minutes ago, AFJF said:

I really think it's time for the bickering to stop.  The season is almost here and lively debate/arguing is a great way to kill time during the off-season, but TC is almost here.  Time to put the differences aside and root for every guy on the roster to do well.

I know there will be one or two people who can't handle civility and that's to be expected.  However, the overwhelming majority need to bury the hatchet(s).

My .02.

Agree 100% we've had our disagreements but as Jets fans we need to unite we are the most resilient fans in the NFL lets not let something we cant control break us down.

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12 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Agree 100% we've had our disagreements but as Jets fans we need to unite we are the most resilient fans in the NFL lets not let something we cant control break us down.

Cheers to that!

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1 hour ago, AFJF said:

I really think it's time for the bickering to stop.  The season is almost here and lively debate/arguing is a great way to kill time during the off-season, but TC is almost here.  Time to put the differences aside and root for every guy on the roster to do well.

I know there will be one or two people who can't handle civility and that's to be expected.  However, the overwhelming majority need to bury the hatchet(s).

My .02.

I think almost all the fans just want the Jets to win, but people are so passionate about what they feel that the ego gets in there and spoils it.  I'm sure there are some diehard Jet fans that would rather see Geno suck to prove they were right, or Fitz suck to prove they were right.  I agree, in the grand scheme of things, the Jets don't make decisions based on message board posts.  No matter all the arguing, Mac isn't sitting on his laptop in a Starbucks going "Hmmm wait a minute" looking at the arguments here.  I think it's true for draft picks as well, we picked Player X instead of Player Y, ergo I hope Player X sucks so picking Player Y was the right choice.  Not really a resume creator, getting picks right without personal scouting is just luck based guessing, so no team is like Poster A is 10/12 in picking good players in the last three drafts, lets hire him.  A lot of times, I think we let our opinions have the ultimate value (especially true when team loses, as I'm sure this place is more busy after a loss than a win) because we feel like others aren't seeing the magical secret.  

However, if we all agreed and just got along, Max will lose traffic, lol.

I support the Jets, so come game day, I'll support whomever is starting.  

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18 minutes ago, win4ever said:

I think almost all the fans just want the Jets to win, but people are so passionate about what they feel that the ego gets in there and spoils it.  I'm sure there are some diehard Jet fans that would rather see Geno suck to prove they were right, or Fitz suck to prove they were right.  I agree, in the grand scheme of things, the Jets don't make decisions based on message board posts.  No matter all the arguing, Mac isn't sitting on his laptop in a Starbucks going "Hmmm wait a minute" looking at the arguments here.  I think it's true for draft picks as well, we picked Player X instead of Player Y, ergo I hope Player X sucks so picking Player Y was the right choice.  Not really a resume creator, getting picks right without personal scouting is just luck based guessing, so no team is like Poster A is 10/12 in picking good players in the last three drafts, lets hire him.  A lot of times, I think we let our opinions have the ultimate value (especially true when team loses, as I'm sure this place is more busy after a loss than a win) because we feel like others aren't seeing the magical secret.  

However, if we all agreed and just got along, Max will lose traffic, lol.

I support the Jets, so come game day, I'll support whomever is starting.  

WHAT???

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21 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Can't afford...

Oh. I get it. That's very clever.

Serendipity....I couldn't come up with a title and threw that in there after I hit "publish" and realized it would go out on twitter w/o a title.  After I updated it I looked at it and said, "oh, that fits".

or was it "Fitz"?

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Just now, RoadFan said:

I rewatched that INT to Leodis a couple of more times.  Clearly a poor decision. 

But!

Decker should have broken it up.  He was right there and made almost no effort.

 

I thought Decker was too far behind him to be able to knock it down. I watched it too, 3 times today.  

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5 hours ago, Beerfish said:

He showed he couldn't in his one game last year.  That was the last straw for me.  As usual he had his moments, as usual he looked good in parts of the game and as usual he came up with a couple of mindbogglingly awful plays at big times.

Stop repeating this nonsense. He threw 2tds with a 3rd td dropped,  completed 65% of his 42 passes (2nd best Comp performance of the season by Jets qb of 40 or more pass attempts) including completing 9 passes in a row before Kerley dropped the 10th which if Kerley would have caught it Geno would have thrown for a perfect 10 for 10 in the 3rd quarter. Had 270 passing yards and rushed for 35 yards. All while not having any chemistry with the starters, going into the game cold, recently back from injury and the defense giving up the most points they would give up all season. 

You say he looked good in parts but had mind-boggling awful plays at big moments...kinda like those sacks in the 4th qtr??? You know what those same fans never talk about? Right after those mind boggling sacks in a big moment to put the offense in a 4th and 20 situation, Geno had an even bigger moment converting the 4th and 20 with a pass to decker to keep the drive alive. 

If you want to talk about "who couldn't do what in their one game last year" then go check out what Fitz did in his one and only week 17 game that has ever had any playoff implications attached. 

Watch that Bills game then you'll realize how overblown you're making that Raiders game performance out to be. 

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This article pretty much hits the nail on the head. Oh, let me see......... Accept the Jets offer and get almost two and a half times as much as I played for in 2015 or sit out of football, get nothing, RETIRE, and never play a down of football when I am 33 years old already?????

There simply is not any logic in taking the retirement route. And YES, making that choice would make Fitz as DUMB as Geno Smith himself and I cannot even fathom anyone possibly being as dumb as Geno Smith. That would make Fitz the Harvard grad with the 5 cent brain.

Fitz does not have any other paths to getting what he wants for money. He MUST accept the Jets offer and he MUST accept that offer by July 27 or I figure that offer will be removed forever. 

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17 hours ago, FidelioJet said:

Fitzpatrick is and always was going sign with the Jets and will be the starter!

It's just a matter of when.

Too much money to leave on the table, even if it's a year at $12 million and a club option for year 2. And may be he wants to see how much cap room the Jets have right before training camp. 

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40 minutes ago, Bugg said:

Too much money to leave on the table, even if it's a year at $12 million and a club option for year 2. And may be he wants to see how much cap room the Jets have right before training camp. 

Yup...this is a guy that last year made $3.5mm...and not a whole lot has changed of how other teams view him.  He and his agent know this...The Jets terribly mismanaged this by telling the world, on multiple occasions, that he (a free agent, not under contract) was their starter.

He'll sign when he has to and no sooner.  It's not even like the Jets have threatened to pull or even lower the offer. 

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5 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

Yup...this is a guy that last year made $3.5mm...and not a whole lot has changed of how other teams view him.  He and his agent know this...The Jets terribly mismanaged this by telling the world, on multiple occasions, that he (a free agent, not under contract) was their starter.

He'll sign when he has to and no sooner.  It's not even like the Jets have threatened to pull or even lower the offer. 

I think that most people felt is was obvious that he was going to be the starter if he came back.  The blame for the overly high salary expectations are more at the feet of other dumb teams that wildly over paid suspect QBs and the fact that Fitzpatrick knows this is his last chance for a pay day.

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14 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

Yup...this is a guy that last year made $3.5mm...and not a whole lot has changed of how other teams view him.  He and his agent know this...The Jets terribly mismanaged this by telling the world, on multiple occasions, that he (a free agent, not under contract) was their starter.

He'll sign when he has to and no sooner.  It's not even like the Jets have threatened to pull or even lower the offer. 

He started all their games and had a good season. That's why the Jets named him the starter even if you don't like it.  He signed with Houston for 2/7 as a backup and started 28 games and won 16 of them. Starting Qbs don't make 3.5 a season. And they make more than 8. 

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3 hours ago, Rangers9 said:

He started all their games and had a good season. That's why the Jets named him the starter even if you don't like it.  He signed with Houston for 2/7 as a backup and started 28 games and won 16 of them. Starting Qbs don't make 3.5 a season. And they make more than 8. 

You don't name someone a starter that not on your roster.  

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