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Petty will be backup

Coach Todd Bowles confirmed Monday that fourth-round draft pick Bryce Petty will be the backup quarterback when the Jets host Cleveland on Sunday. Gang Green released veterans Matt Flynn and Josh Johnson on Saturday, leaving Petty as the only healthy signal-caller on the roster besides starter Ryan Fitzpatrick.

It's an interesting turn of events, considering that on Aug. 27, Bowles said the notion of Petty being ready to be the backup on opening day would be "wrong."But on Monday, he indicated that Petty was as viable an option for Sunday as either Flynn or Johnson would have been.

"Bryce has gotten better each week," Bowles said. "To say that the other guys that came in so late would know more [of the offense] than him at that point in time, we'd be lying. Bryce knows a little more than them. They have more experience than him, but not having a full grasp of the offense, you'd be getting pretty much the same thing."Bowles also said Fitzpatrick, who suffered a fractured leg last December, "wasn't totally healthy" when the Jets signed Flynn and Johnson last month.

rest of above article :

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/jets-notes-bryce-petty-will-be-backup-quarterback-1.1405250

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–- Todd Bowles might have entered his first training camp with a different starting quarterback.But as the new New York Jets head coach heads into the season, Bowles seems to be pretty comfortable with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starter and where he is at this point in his 11-year career.“Personally, I think he is in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career,” Bowles said. “I think he is comfortable with who he is and he understands offense and what is around him and he is going to take what you give to him.

“Maybe early on in his career, he was trying to force some balls in,” Bowles added. “He’s in a good place. He understands the offense pretty well and he’s gelling with everybody.”It’s been quite the journey this season even for the quintessential journeyman that Fitzpatrick is. The Jets are Fitzpatrick’s fourth different team in as many years.He started 2015 off recovering from a broken left leg suffered last December, which made it difficult at times for him just to walk. He had a steel rod surgically-inserted into his lower leg. During his recovery, the quarterback was dealt to the Jets in March to backup Geno Smith.

Months later, Smith had his jaw broken in a locker room altercation early in camp and Fitzpatrick was suddenly the new starting quarterback.At 32, Fitzpatrick cherishes this latest opportunity to run a team, perhaps more than ever. As a seventh-round pick out of Harvard in 2005, Fitzpatrick has long beaten the odds. He’s fought the labels of being a quarterback with limited arm strength and ability.Now he’s coming back from a broken leg in the latter part of his career. Fitzpatrick knows that many feel his play will be the key to the Jets’ success this season, as the Jets are equipped with a stellar defense.

He won't put up gaudy numbers like Aaron Rodgers or other elite quarterbacks. But Fitzpatrick doesn't necessarily have to. He just has to limit his mistakes and lead the offense to enough points while hoping the defense takes care of its business.“I want to be great for who I am and for what type of quarterback I am,” Fitzpatrick said. “... Great for me is going to be different than great for somebody else.”As for the idea that he might not take as many chances scrambling as he has in the past due to his leg injury, Fitzpatrick hopes that defenses and critics will think as much.“I don’t think so,” said Fitzpatrick, whose mobility has been overlooked at times. “I have a particular style of play. Hopefully (the leg injury) makes me even more underrated (as a scrambler).”

At this stage of his career, Fitzpatrick is fine-tuned to his strengths and weaknesses and wants to make sure he’s in the best possible situation each week to win.t helps that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey knows Fitzpatrick as well as anybody, having coached the quarterback as head coach of the Bills from 2010-12.“I think what [Bowles] is saying is understanding who I am as a quarterback, what things I am good at, what things I’m not and really catering at the things I really excel at,” Fitzpatrick said. “And eliminating some of the bad plays, whether it is a bad throw or bad decision, eliminating that before we get to the game on Sunday.”

“So I got my decisions set out,” Fitzpatrick added. “Just the way I am thinking about the game may be a little different now than it was five years ago.”With the Jets facing a dangerous Browns’ secondary that features cornerback Joe Haden, safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Tramon Williams, Fitzpatrick will have to be precise with his decision-making.Bowles hopes that Fitzpatrick being in a “good place” will be very good for the Jets.“I want to be as good as I know I can be and continue to improve each week,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think I have continued to improve each year as my career has gone on so continue that uptrend.”

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53972/todd-bowles-ryan-fitzpatrick-is-in-a-good-place-entering-opener

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Going to join Kelly and post another Yahoo article.  There have been a couple of good Jets reads this morning:

http://nypost.com/2015/09/10/ryan-fitzpatrick-could-make-jets-forget-all-about-geno-smith/

 

The Jets were the perfect landing spot for Ryan Fitzpatrick to join the sixth team of his 11-year NFL career, because the chances of Geno Smith holding onto the starting quarterback position all season were about as good as Fitzpatrick voluntarily shaving that hellacious beard of his.

And — though Fitzpatrick had nothing to do with it nor did he condone the act — that knockout punch to Smith’s jaw ended up coming at the perfect time for Fitzpatrick and the Jets, because he’s now had weeks to prepare for Sunday’s season opener against the Browns at MetLife Stadium.

So that I.K. Enemkpali sucker punch that left Smith on the locker-room floor might end up being the best thing that happened to the Jets.

Fitzpatrick is not the perfect quarterback specimen, nor does he profess to be. But, given his experience in the league and having previously played for Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, he has the potential to keep the Jets in games Smith might have thrown them out of with poor decision-making.

That is, however, only if Fitzpatrick lives up to what he said Wednesday, four days in advance of his first game as a Jet. He insisted he’s stopped “trying to be Superman’’ and thinking, “I can do everything.’’

“[With] decision-making, I think I’ve come a long way,’’ he said. “The way I’m thinking about the game is maybe is a little different now than it was five years ago. There is a learning process and you just come to realization that you’ve got to focus on the things that make you successful.’’

Todd Bowles on Wednesday said he believes Fitzpatrick has found his successful place.

“Personally, I think he’s in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career,’’ Bowles said. “I think he’s comfortable with who he is, and he understands the offense and what’s around him. He’s going to take what you give to him. Maybe early on in his career he was trying to force some balls in.’’

For the better part of the last decade, Jets quarterbacks have been forcing too many balls in places where they should not have been thrown. Turnovers have been as much a reason as any that they’ve missed the playoffs the last four years.

Fitzpatrick has had a history of being too loose with the football, throwing too many interceptions, but at least he balances that by throwing more touchdowns passes than interceptions. In his last five seasons, Fitzpatrick has thrown more TDs than INTs every year, though he threw a career-high 23 picks to go with 24 TDs in 2011.
Before a broken leg ended his 2014 season after 12 starts, Fitzpatrick had thrown 17 TDs and eight INTs for the Texans, who were 6-6 while he played.

Modal Triggerfitzpatrick2.jpg?w=199&h=300

Ryan FitzpatrickPhoto: Joseph E. Amaturo

The most alarming stat on Fitzpatrick’s résumé is his 33-55-1 career record as a starter.

Fitzpatrick has maintained a sense of humor over the criticism he’s endured in his career. He is well aware of the common theory that he doesn’t have to be great, just a good game manager for the team to be successful.

“I want to be great for who I am and what type of quarterback I am,’’ Fitzpatrick said. “I want to put the team in the right play, make the right decisions. I want to make all the throws. But great for me is going to be different than great for somebody else.

Eric Decker called Fitzpatrick “a guy that’s been in this system and that is going to be a positive for us offensively,’’

“You can’t replace experience and repetitions, and that’s what we have gotten now with him in the last half of training camp,’’ Decker said. “I’ve been amazed by him making all the throws. People talk about his lack of arm strength and how he can’t throw the intermediate or deep balls, but he’s made a lot of those throws in preseason. I think he can make all those throws.’’

Right guard Willie Colon called Fitzpatrick “a perfectionist, very smart, very savvy.

“I didn’t know what his role would be or how he would land,’’ Colon said, “but I knew he had enough under his belt as a vet that he could get it done.’’

On Sunday, we all get to see for real if he, indeed, can get it done. And if he does, that sucker punch to Geno’s jaw heard ’round the Jets locker room might end up being the Jets most important hit of the year.

“I have a lot of respect for Fitz,’’ Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “He’s found a way to play for a long time in this league. It’s his decision-making that I think can set him apart from most and what makes him perfect for that system. He knows where to go with the ball, he gets it out very quickly, doesn’t turn it over.

“I don’t think the Jets could have had a more ideal situation to fall back into.’’

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The Jets were the perfect landing spot for Ryan Fitzpatrick to join the sixth team of his 11-year NFL career, because the chances of Geno Smith holding onto the starting quarterback position all season were about as good as Fitzpatrick voluntarily shaving that hellacious beard of his.And — though Fitzpatrick had nothing to do with it nor did he condone the act — that knockout punch to Smith’s jaw ended up coming at the perfect time for Fitzpatrick and the Jets, because he’s now had weeks to prepare for Sunday’s season opener against the Browns at MetLife Stadium.

So that I.K. Enemkpali sucker punch that left Smith on the locker-room floor might end up being the best thing that happened to the Jets.Fitzpatrick is not the perfect quarterback specimen, nor does he profess to be. But, given his experience in the league and having previously played for Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, he has the potential to keep the Jets in games Smith might have thrown them out of with poor decision-making.That is, however, only if Fitzpatrick lives up to what he said Wednesday, four days in advance of his first game as a Jet. He insisted he’s stopped “trying to be Superman’’ and thinking, “I can do everything.’’

“[With] decision-making, I think I’ve come a long way,’’ he said. “The way I’m thinking about the game is maybe is a little different now than it was five years ago. There is a learning process and you just come to realization that you’ve got to focus on the things that make you successful.’’Todd Bowles on Wednesday said he believes Fitzpatrick has found his successful place.“Personally, I think he’s in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career,’’ Bowles said. “I think he’s comfortable with who he is, and he understands the offense and what’s around him. He’s going to take what you give to him. Maybe early on in his career he was trying to force some balls in.’’

For the better part of the last decade, Jets quarterbacks have been forcing too many balls in places where they should not have been thrown. Turnovers have been as much a reason as any that they’ve missed the playoffs the last four years.Fitzpatrick has had a history of being too loose with the football, throwing too many interceptions, but at least he balances that by throwing more touchdowns passes than interceptions. In his last five seasons, Fitzpatrick has thrown more TDs than INTs every year, though he threw a career-high 23 picks to go with 24 TDs in 2011.Before a broken leg ended his 2014 season after 12 starts, Fitzpatrick had thrown 17 TDs and eight INTs for the Texans, who were 6-6 while he played.

The most alarming stat on Fitzpatrick’s résumé is his 33-55-1 career record as a starter.Fitzpatrick has maintained a sense of humor over the criticism he’s endured in his career. He is well aware of the common theory that he doesn’t have to be great, just a good game manager for the team to be successful.“I want to be great for who I am and what type of quarterback I am,’’ Fitzpatrick said. “I want to put the team in the right play, make the right decisions. I want to make all the throws. But great for me is going to be different than great for somebody else.Eric Decker called Fitzpatrick “a guy that’s been in this system and that is going to be a positive for us offensively,’’

“You can’t replace experience and repetitions, and that’s what we have gotten now with him in the last half of training camp,’’ Decker said. “I’ve been amazed by him making all the throws. People talk about his lack of arm strength and how he can’t throw the intermediate or deep balls, but he’s made a lot of those throws in preseason. I think he can make all those throws.’’Right guard Willie Colon called Fitzpatrick “a perfectionist, very smart, very savvy.“I didn’t know what his role would be or how he would land,’’ Colon said, “but I knew he had enough under his belt as a vet that he could get it done.’’On Sunday, we all get to see for real if he, indeed, can get it done. And if he does, that sucker punch to Geno’s jaw heard ’round the Jets locker room might end up being the Jets most important hit of the year.“I have a lot of respect for Fitz,’’ Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “He’s found a way to play for a long time in this league. It’s his decision-making that I think can set him apart from most and what makes him perfect for that system. He knows where to go with the ball, he gets it out very quickly, doesn’t turn it over.

“I don’t think the Jets could have had a more ideal situation to fall back into.’’

>      http://nypost.com/2015/09/10/ryan-fitzpatrick-could-make-jets-forget-all-about-geno-smith/?ref=yfp

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– Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2014 season ended with him being loaded onto a cart, the victim of a fractured left tibia after an ill-fated attempt to scramble.

His 2015 season will begin with him walking onto the field as the Jets' starting quarterback.It has been quite a journey over the past nine months, but it's one the 32-year-old Fitzpatrick never doubted that he could make."I had a lot of people that I was able to talk to," he said Wednesday after practice, "friends and different people, that have had the same injury and [I was] just kind of talking to them about the process and what it takes. A lot of it was time, there wasn't a whole lot I could do [other] than let my bone heal. … There was always a light at the end of the tunnel, but it certainly was hard early on with the injury."

Fitzpatrick had surgery on the leg, in which a steel rod was inserted to stabilize it. After that, he faced a long and arduous period of rehab."I'd never really had a serious injury," the 11th-year veteran said, "and so just going through having surgery and putting a rod in my leg and having trouble walking for a few months, it was hard for me. It's hard when you're sitting around having to put in the rehab and the hours and not seeing much in terms of results for months and months. …

"It will mean even that much more to me just because of the reward of all the hard work that I put in and a lot of people on Houston's and New York's medical staffs put in in getting me ready."

So how will it feel to be playing Sunday ?

"It's going to be awesome," he said with a smile.The Jets hope it will be, too, although they don't necessarily need Fitzpatrick to be awesome on the field. They gladly will take efficient and mistake-free play from the Harvard grad who was acquired in a trade with Houston in March, three months after he broke his leg. Fitzpatrick ascended to the starting position when Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw in a locker-room altercation."Personally, I think he's in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career," coach Todd Bowles said. "I think he's comfortable with who he is and what's around him. He's going to take what you give to him. … He understands the offense pretty well and he's jelling with everybody."

"I think what [Bowles is] saying there is," Fitzpatrick said, "me understanding who I am as a quarterback, what things I'm good at, what things I'm not. Just really catering to the things that I excel at. Eliminating some of the bad plays, whether it was a bad throw or bad decision, eliminating that [in practice] before we get to the game on Sunday.Fitzpatrick, who has 123 touchdown passes and 101 interceptions in his career, was asked what weaknesses he is trying to improve upon."To be honest, I think you guys [reporters] know most of them," Fitzpatrick said, grinning. "I've seen plenty of articles where you guys have pointed them out."

>   http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/gang-green-quarterback-enjoying-ride-1.1407014

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Pennington: Takes 3 years to develop a QB

Former Jets QB Chad Pennington dishes on Tom Brady's performance in the Patriots' season opener against the Steelers and the mix-up regarding Pittsburgh's headsets. Plus, he weighs in on the adjustment period for rookie QB's

>   http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

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Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday there was "miscommunication" between him and center Nick Mangold on the botched second-quarter shotgun snap that sailed past Fitzpatrick’s head while he wasn’t paying attention Sunday.Well, so much for the notion that Fitzpatrick can run coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense without even looking. It only seems that way at times.When Geno Smith’s jaw was fractured last month and Fitzpatrick took the starting reins, Fitzpatrick’s familiarity with Gailey and his offensive schemes immediately was cited as something that would help ease what otherwise could have been a traumatic transitionThat comfort level certainly seemed to be on display in the Jets’ 31-10 win over Cleveland.

Other than two major glitches, Fitzpatrick ran the offense like the poised 11-year NFL veteran he is, one who was immersed in Gailey’s system from 2010-12, when Fitzpatrick was with Buffalo and Gailey was the head coach."I think it helps," Fitzpatrick said of his prior experience with the 62-year-old coach. "We’ve been in this thing and at it for a few years now. I think just having the few weeks of preseason as well to kind of get everything together and talking throughout the week leading up to this game, I think that was helpful. It was a good reminder of the experience we have together."

Fitzpatrick wasn’t sacked and was hit only once.

"With Chan’s offense in general," he said, "the ball’s coming out quickly. I think everybody knows that. We put a huge emphasis on not taking sacks as a quarterback and being smart with the ball. You never know going into a game what kind of defense they’re going to play or how they’re going to play you on third down, but we did a good job of protecting up front."The importance of my job," he added, "is not making mistakes with the ball and getting it out and not taking sacks when I don’t need to."

"He does everything right," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said of Fitzpatrick after the game. "It would take us 10 minutes to sit down and talk about everything he does right. I just think it starts with the way he takes control of not only the huddle, but the entire building. He’s a great guy for all of us to follow and we’re fortunate to have him."Granted, Fitzpatrick and the rest of the offense may need more than the 179 passing yards they had Sunday to beat some of the more explosive offenses they will see this season, including Indianapolis’ on Monday.However, while Fitzpatrick’s arm strength often has been questioned, he had plenty of mustard on a 15-yard score to Eric Decker late in the second quarter, putting the Jets ahead to stay. On the play, Fitzpatrick trusted that Decker would find space in the defense, throwing it before he was open.

"I knew Eric was going to find the right spot and it was nice," he said. "It was just nice because of the anticipation, because of kind of knowing where he was going before he was there and all that. There were some good things on that play."

ABOUSHI WAIVED: The Jets waived backup OL Oday Aboushi, who was their fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft. Aboushi finished last season as the starting left guard but lost that job when the Jets signed Seattle’s James Carpenter as a free agent in March. Aboushi sat out the season opener because he had been suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

>   http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/fitzpatrick-looks-like-perfect-fit-1.1410731

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- Ryan Fitzpatrick is off to as good a start as you could want for the Jets, running the offense with efficiency, showing a lively arm and setting up his receivers almost perfectly in the 31-10 season-opening win over the Browns.

Surprised  ? Don't be.

Fitzpatrick has a history of getting off to fast starts. Like in 2011 in Buffalo, when he led the Bills to a 5-2 getaway with 14 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He was rewarded midway through that season with a whopping $59-million contract extension.After beating out Ryan Mallett for the starter's job in Houston last year, Fitzpatrick had the Texans off to a 3-1 start.But those hot starts fizzled, with Fitzpatrick's play dropping off so precipitously in Buffalo that he lost the starting job by the end of 2012. When his play tailed off last year, he was replaced by Mallett after nine games.So as good as Fitzpatrick was in his Jets debut, we strongly advise taking a wait-and-see approach before assuming that his unexpected ascension to the starting job after the jaw-breaking shot Geno Smith took in training camp will lead to a more permanent position as the No. 1 guy.

Fitzpatrick sees no common thread in his experiences in Buffalo and Houston, although you could argue that once defensive coordinators got enough tape on him, it was easier to pick on his deficiencies later in each season."For me, I think it's just continuing to get better every week and knowing that you're only as good as your next game," Fitzpatrick said on Thursday as the Jets practiced for Monday night's game in Indianapolis. "We had a great start [on Sunday], but we can do a lot of things better on offense. If we come out and lay an egg this week, that's all forgotten quickly."

It will, especially in a league in which seemingly definitive judgments about teams and players can go up in smoke from one week to the next. But it was hard not to be impressed by Fitzpatrick in the opener, especially after seeing him struggle early in training camp. Fitzpatrick simply didn't show the command of the offense or the arm strength to make you think the Jets had much of a chance if he was forced to play.But there's a reason the 32-year-old Fitzpatrick continues to be employed. It's his resourcefulness that allows him to adapt to his surroundings. He'll never be mistaken for Andrew Luck, whom he'll face on Monday night. But put a solid cast of players around him and give him time to throw, and you'll get the kind of performance he put on against a solid Browns defense.

" Game days, it's a totally different speed," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said of Fitzpatrick's deceptively good arm strength. "[The ball] gets on you quick. I don't know where people get that from, where they say he doesn't have a strong arm. He actually does. He reminds me of Josh McCown . People said the same thing about McCown, but when we played with him, we were shocked."

Receiver Eric Decker also scoffs at the knock against Fitzpatrick's arm strength.

"I got these questions with Peyton Manning all the time," Decker said. "[Fitzpatrick] can make every throw. Whether he throws 70 yards on a line or not doesn't matter. From what I've seen the last six months being with Fitzpatrick, he can make every throw. So it's not a surprise to me. I've gotten to witness it every day in practice. He's been great for us."Now the question is how much longer Fitzpatrick combines his arm strength with accuracy. Coach Todd Bowles made it clear the day Smith was decked by linebacker IK Enemkpali that Fitzpatrick will keep the job if the Jets are doing well, even when Smith is ready to play again. But if Fitzpatrick's history of leveling off after impressive starts comes into play, then Bowles might have a decision to make. So Jets fans rejoicing in Fitzpatrick taking over as the starter might have to deal with a different reality down the road.

Fitzpatrick hopes that won't be the case, even if he is aware of his past."I've had some success. I've had some struggles," he said. "The way I look at it is what do I need to do to get myself better."The answer may determine how far the Jets go and whether Smith gets a chance to take back his job. The answer rests with Fitzpatrick.

>    http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/ryan-fitzpatrick-must-show-good-start-is-not-a-fluke-1.10857754

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@RichCimini The Jets are playing 3 good teams in the next 3 weeks before their bi-week. If they lose all three does Geno start? #jetsmail

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Ryan Fitzpatrick sparkled in his New York Jets debut last week, the veteran quarterback leading the way to an impressive 31—10 win over the Cleveland Browns. And in the eyes of the best quarterback in franchise history, the presence of Fitzpatrick was evident as he watched the game. 

Joe Namath, the only man to quarterback the Jets to a Super Bowl, watched last Sunday's win from his home in Florida. but even from a distance he sensed the veteran's poise. Fitzpatrick completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Not gaudy numbers by any stretch but it was good, solid quarterbacking. "I felt his demeanor, I felt him be calm, cool and collected," Namath told Metro. "I felt, watching him, I felt the years of experience he has and the way he was conducting himself out there. Any control of himself, running the game, running the show, not getting carried away with things. Keeping his poise, really keeping his poise."I did see him getting excited – of course – we all do. I really liked the way he maintained his poise. There's a confidence about his ability to put the team in the right position. If it's a different play, a different look from the defense, you know he can handle it with his experience." 

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a member of the Jets' Ring of Honor, the Jets legend now has the Namath Grill Line. He's especially proud of the Namath Rapid Cooker, which he says is perfect for tailgating season. "Get the cooker up high – high heat seals the juices in. That's the quality of the Namath Cooker, it gets the heat high and keeps all the juices in so you can have a nice, moist, tasty piece of meat. And it's easy to clean," Namath said."And it's not just meat, you can cook vegetables, fish. There are nine different heat zones." Away from the tailgate and on the field last Sunday, Namath liked Fitzpatrick's ability to make smart decisions, not surprising he says given that the Jets quarterback is a Harvard graduate. 

"The Alabama of the northeast," Namath joked about his alma mater.Fitzpatrick also showed good arm strength, something that was a bit of a surprise to most observers of the Week 1 game. One of the knocks on Fitzpatrick was that his ability with the deep ball was average at best. Yet last Sunday he threw down the field well, a part of his game that is evolving now in his eleventh season. Namath didn't just see arm strength on display, he saw accuracy in the deep ball.  "He's great at the controls as far as running the offense and seeing the defense. And he was throwing some strikes. The velocity on the ball looked pretty good," Namath said.  "There's a difference between throwing a bomb and [then] putting it on the clothesline on a post-pattern to the outside – he was doing that. He was throwing it with some heat down the middle even, sticking it in there. I never doubted his arm strength. Watching him in Buffalo, some people questioned it."

rest of above article :

>    http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/joe-namath-talks-ryan-fitzpatrick-as-jets-qb-and-the-perfect-tailgate-party/zsJoit---Ja3tG1dLxgCXk/

 

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Bryce Petty wishes he could join in.

But all the Jets' rookie quarterback can do is sit there. And listen.

"Sometimes, I kind of get a third-wheel kind of vibe," Petty said, pouting ever so slightly before cracking a smile. "They tell jokes that I don't understand and they talk about different things . . .

"I joke about being a third wheel, but at the same time, it really is like that."The bond between starter Ryan Fitzpatrick and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was forged years ago, over three seasons together in Buffalo. And that shared history already has proved to be an asset for the Jets, who opened the season with a convincing 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns last week and face the Colts in Indianapolis tomorrow night."It's just helpful to be able to draw on past experiences," Fitzpatrick said. "In terms of whether it's situational football or whether it's certain coverages or routes or things that you've seen, It's just nice to have that.

When Gailey was asked on Aug. 11 -- before reporters even knew that incumbent Geno Smith had suffered a broken jaw -- if he can rely on Fitzpatrick should something happen to Smith, the offensive coordinator said: "Yes, there's no question about it. That's from prior knowledge as well as present day."And with Smith still on the mend, Jets players have expressed the utmost confidence in Fitzpatrick.

He was impressive against the Browns, throwing two touchdowns. But he also threw an interception, which luckily for the Jets, was stripped and recovered by receiver Brandon Marshall. "We all wish he hadn't thrown the interception, but . . . that's going to happen from time to time," Gailey said. "I thought he managed the game extremely well. I thought he made some great throws. I liked a lot."

The basis for their close relationship is trust.

"They talk to each other with a level of confidence," center Nick Mangold said. " . . . They've been through enough where they know they're not going to offend, they're not going to take anything personal."Gailey understands what Fitzpatrick is capable of and he knows that the veteran signal-caller "is so smart that he's able to be two steps ahead of, probably all of us," right guard Willie Colon said. And that rapport is evident on game day.

"When you've got a horse that you've been having in the stable, it's your 'Old Faithful.' And that's what Fitz is to him," Colon said. "He's his 'Old Faithful.'

"Fitz is a great quarterback. He understands the system, he knows how to get rid of the ball, he doesn't make mistakes, and if anything, they think alike out there. So they pretty much have the same mind -- just like a [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady. They understand their system and they understand what works."Gailey is an old-school football coach; a straight shooter, who's about X's and O's first. He's methodical and extremely precise, every play call drawn up for a specific reason. There's no hidden agenda with him, no game plans designed "just because," Mangold said. And the offensive coordinator isn't the least bit swayed by players' feelings.

"He's not going to B.S. you, he's not going to beat around the bush," Petty said. "If you did it wrong, he'll tell you. But it's done in a coachable way. It's not belittling, it doesn't make you feel like you're the worst player to ever touch the field"He's never cussed at me once. And I've done plenty of things for him to cuss me for," the rookie said, smiling.

Gailey is known for being a no-nonsense kind of guy, but he also has a dry sense of humor."When he's in there with Fitz and we're in the film room, he cuts up," Petty said. "Fitz gets him laughing."

"Fitz is funny as hell," Colon said. "As much as he's an athlete he has a great sense of humor. And that's important . . . He's very focused and very serious, but keeps everything light too. His energy in the huddle is so good. Even when we're in a tough situation, he'll crack a smile or do something silly just to let everybody know that we'll be OK. That's just a good sign of leadership."

>   http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ryan-fitzpatrick-is-old-faithful-to-jets-oc-chan-gailey-1.10862916

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— He may be the Accidental Quarterback.

He’s also about as good a quarterback as the Jets could possibly have asked for through two games of a season that is so far satisfactory beyond the Jets’ wildest imagination.

Better ?

Ryan Fitzpatrick knows something else.

“I have to be better than this,” the Accidental Quarterback said. “And I know I will be.”

Fitzpatrick was awfully good anyway Monday night, during the Jets’ 20-7 win over the Colts. The quarterbacking matchup between Fitzpatrick — starting only because of Geno Smith’s broken jaw — and Andrew Luck, one of the league’s fair-haired boys, looked to be a mismatch on paper.And, actually, it was. While Luck was slogging through a three-interception, one-fumble nightmare of a night (replete with a woeful QB rating of 52.8), Fitzpatrick was terrific: 22 for 34, 244 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.

“We kept grinding on offense,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said, “and eventually, we broke through.”Still, Fitzpatrick was visibly unimpressed by what he’d done, believing he should have done more with the five turnovers his defense gave him, believing he should have done more to keep those defenders rested and fresh on the sidelines by extending drives and scoring more points.

“We have to go back and look at staying on the field more,” said Fitzpatrick, who compiled a fine QB rating of 93.3. “I have to be better on third downs [the Jets were only 4-of-12] and making it tougher on the other defense.”Still, in a telling sign of the confidence Fitzpatrick possesses, he led the Jets on an 80-yard drive immediately after the Colts had closed the gap to 10-7. On that drive, he was 4-for-6 for 56 yards, including a beautiful 27-yard toss to Quincy Enunwa (Enunwa’s first NFL catch) and the clincher — 15 yards to Brandon Marshall for the score.

“That’s a big drive for us,” Fitzpatrick said. “Our offense had stalled too much and was caught in a rut not making a whole lot of plays. It was a gut-check time for us, we had to go out and do something.”

And they did just that.

“I think offensively we didn’t play as well as we wanted — that may be an understatement,” Fitzpatrick said. “The important thing was how we responded and closed out the game. It’s an important growth area for us.”

>      http://nypost.com/2015/09/22/jets-fitzpatrick-exceeding-all-expectations-except-his-own/

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New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick won't be returning to the bench anytime soon, if ever.

If there was any doubt about the Jets' immediate future at quarterback, it was erased Tuesday by Todd Bowles, who indicated that Fitzpatrick will remain the starter when Smith returns from his fractured jaw."Ryan is the starting quarterback right now," said the first-year coach, whose team is a surprising 2-0. "I mean, we're going good. We have good chemistry and everything else. Geno understands that. As we go, Ryan is our starting quarterback, and we'll go forward from there."

Essentially, Bowles reiterated what he said Aug. 11, the day Smith's jaw was broken by then-teammate IK Enemkpali. At the time, Bowles described it as Fitzpatrick's job to lose, saying it wouldn't make any sense to bench a hot quarterback.Six weeks later, Bowles' words carry more weight. The Jets are off to their best start since 2011, and Fitzpatrick is a big reason for the success.For now, it's a moot point because Smith still hasn't been cleared to practice on a full-time basis. He's expected to miss the next two games, based on the team's timetable. After that, there's a bye week, meaning the former starter should be healthy by Week 6.

That being said, nothing will change, according to Bowles."We'll get Geno ready, but Ryan is going to stay sharp and Ryan will be taking the first-team reps," Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick, 32 years old and starting for his sixth team, has managed the offense well. He's eighth among quarterbacks in Total QBR (70.0), with four touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 64-percent completion rate.On Monday, Fitzpatrick helped the Jets to a 20-7 upset of the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 244 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown to Brandon Marshall to seal the game. But the Jets also missed some chances; they could've done a better job of exploiting a secondary that was missing its three top corners for most of the game. Fitzpatrick also was guilty of an interception at the Colts' goal line.

"Offensively, we didn't play as well as we wanted to," Fitzpatrick said after the game. "That might be an understatement."Nevertheless, it was enough for Bowles, who said Fitzpatrick did a "good job of managing the game." He's also won the respect of his teammates with his heady leadership style and knowledge of Chan Gailey's offense.

In the meantime, Smith waits, perhaps wondering if he'll ever reclaim his old job. Bowles made it sound like Smith has a ways to go before he's ready, both mentally and physically."He has to get ready for practice," the coach said. "He has to read defenses all over again. It's like starting training camp when you haven't read defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections and everything like that. It takes a minute. Once he gets back to that flow, I think it'll start to come back to him pretty good."

>      http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/13719238/todd-bowles-reiterates-ryan-fitzpatrick-remain-starting-qb-new-york-jets

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 — Ryan Fitzpatrick was given a strong vote of confidence by Jets coach Todd Bowles on Tuesday. When asked about it Wednesday, Fitzpatrick responded like the sage, grizzled, bearded veteran he is."I’m here and I’m going to do whatever they tell me to do," the 11th-year quarterback said. "They want me out there, I want to be out there, so [Bowles’ announcement] wasn’t really a big deal to me other than I’m excited for an opportunity on Sunday to go out there and play well."

Bowles was asked Tuesday on a conference call if Fitzpatrick will continue to be the starter even after Geno Smith is healthy. At the time, it was a hypothetical question from the media’s standpoint.Bowles replied, "Ryan is our starting quarterback right now. We’re doing well, we have good chemistry going and everything else, and Geno understands that. And as we go, Ryan is our quarterback. We’ll go forward from there."Smith, who suffered a fractured jaw from IK Enemkpali’s infamous punch Aug. 11, practiced full Wednesday for the first time since the injury, and Bowles said it’s possible Smith could serve as Fitzpatrick’s backup Sunday when the Jets host Philadelphia. Fourth-round pick Bryce Petty has filled that role in each of the first two games.

"It was good to see him out there," Fitzpatrick said of Smith, who split scout team snaps with Petty.Fitzpatrick made it clear he’s less concerned about votes of confidence than he is about his performance on the field."I’m focused on the next game," he said. "I’m dialed in on the Eagles right now and figuring that out with the game plan and getting our guys in the right spots. For me, it’s always not looking any farther than one week at a time. That’s kind of how I focus on it."And toward that end, he knows that although the Jets are 2-0, there’s room for improvement. The Jets had only two touchdowns in their Monday night win over an Indianapolis team that was decimated at cornerback. By the beginning of the second half, the Colts were missing their top four corners.

"Yeah, I think so," Fitzpatrick said when asked if the offense left some points on the field. "I felt that [way] kind of coming off the field. We definitely kind of fell into a little lull there offensively. and [with] the Colts scoring the touchdown, we kicked it back into gear. I think we left some points out there and I think any time your defense gets the turnovers like they do, we have to be able to capture and capitalize on that momentum a little better."Fitzpatrick completed 22 of 34 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns in that game, and perhaps could have thrown more except for the fact the Jets still seemed focused on establishing the run against an Indianapolis defense that was loading the box. The 0-2 Eagles are allowing only 3.1 yards per carry, so it will be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Chan Gailey sticks with the run-first philosophy Sunday.

"We’re not good enough to look past anybody," Fitzpatrick said. "At this point, we just have to focus each and every week on the next opponent. We’ve got a lot of veteran guys here and everybody knows, in the NFL, anybody can beat anybody. We’re nothing special. we’ve played two games. We have to continue to work at practice and continue to get better."

Otherwise, as a veteran such as Fitzpatrick well knows, a vote of confidence can be rescinded quickly.

>   http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/fitzpatrick-focused-1.1417173

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 -- Ryan Fitzpatrick simply went about his business for five months, thinking like a starter while preparing to be the New York Jets' backup quarterback.

He knew it was Geno Smith's team and understood that he was an insurance policy, a veteran who could step in seamlessly if needed.That day came sooner than anyone could've imagined when the franchise was rocked by Ikemefuna Enemkpali's punch that broke Smith's jaw in the locker room last month.Just like that, Fitzpatrick was back in a starting role - and he has established himself as a leader for a team that is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2009 with a game against the struggling Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) Sunday.''We're not good enough to look past anybody,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''At this point, we just have to focus each and every week on the next opponent.''That's kind of how Fitzpatrick has approached his NFL career for the past 11 years. He's a Harvard guy who was a seventh-round pick of St. Louis in 2005 with starts and stints on the bench mixed throughout stops with six teams.

On Tuesday, coach Todd Bowles made the hardly stunning announcement that Fitzpatrick was the Jets' starting quarterback until further notice - no matter when Smith is fully healthy. Fitzpatrick has been solid in two games, throwing for 423 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions while earning the trust and confidence of the offense.''I'm here and I'm going to do whatever they tell me to do,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''They want me out there, I want to be out there, so it wasn't really a big deal to me other than I'm excited for an opportunity on Sunday to go out there and play well.''

Fitzpatrick's even-keeled, ho-hum approach mirrors that of his head coach. That has played a large part in him making the transition from backup to starter so smooth in New York.After all, Fitzpatrick has taken the job that Smith expected to have - and that could have made for some awkward moments in the quarterbacks room.''Nobody's worried about stepping on each other's toes or anything like that,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''We're all worried about getting a win for our team. I think that's important to keep in mind.''

A final X-ray on Smith's jaw cleared him to fully practice this week for the first time since the incident on Aug. 11 cast his season in doubt. He's feeling good and might back up Fitzpatrick against the Eagles.''You want to be out there,'' Smith said. ''I'm not happy, but it's not one of those things where it's going to change my approach or going to change the way that I approach teammates. It's the decision. I understand it. I'm not bitter about it. I understand why.''

Smith might still have another opportunity to start someday, but he dismissed the notion that his chance to establish himself in what many considered a make-or-break season was ruined.''The window and all that stuff, man, I'm 24 years old,'' Smith said. ''So whoever wants to say that, they can say that, but I know that I have a lot of football left in me, and I will get a chance.''

Smith found out that Fitzpatrick would be the guy under center for the immediate future from Bowles' conference call Tuesday, something he said was ''no big deal.'' He also acknowledged that he's frustrated by the circumstances that put him in this situation, but insisted he's on board with the rest of the team and credited Fitzpatrick for being a great influence.''You kind of understand how things work, and we're on a roll right now, so I'm not opposed to it,'' he said. ''It's out of my control.''

Fitzpatrick has been in Smith's shoes several times in his career, and can appreciate both sides of a quarterback situation. Just last season, he began as the starter for the Houston Texans before being pulled - and taking over again when Ryan Mallett was injured.''I think I have learned a lot as I've gone from different guys that I've sat behind or just through different experiences where I've been the starter on different teams,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''I just try to continue to learn, but apply those lessons to everything that I'm doing here.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/fitzpatrick-settling-jets-offensive-leader-232956539--nfl.html

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— Two games is a small sample size, especially for a quarterback who has been in the league for 11 years.

Jets' quarterback Ryan Fitzapatrick, with his sixth team in those 11 years after graduating from Harvard, is off to the best start of his NFL career.Fitzpatrick's 94.3 quarterback rating is almost 17 points higher than his career rating of 77.4 before this season. His 63.8 completion percentage is the highest of his career; as is his 6.9 percent touchdown percentage; his 7.3 yards per attempt is the second best in his career.And most important, after putting a career record of 33-55-1 through his first 10 years, Fitzpatrick is 2-0 in two starts with the Jets."He's done a good job,'' Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said of Fitzpatrick. "The one thing — and I don't know if people realize it — is that Fitzy played a lot for Chan (Gailey, the Jets offensive coordinator)  when Chan was the head coach at Buffalo.  He's just really comfortable. It is not a traditional new quarterback, new coordinator getting together in where they are. 

"I think he's got a real comfort level with Chan. Bob Bicknell, our wide receivers coach, was on staff with them there in Buffalo. So (Fitzpatrick) had a great command of that offense when he was running it up in Buffalo, and I think it's probably been the easiest transition for him in terms of anybody else, because of his familiarity with Chan, and what he wants to do and how he's going to call things."The offense they are running in New York right now is similar to the one that Chan was running when they were in Buffalo together.''

Fitzpatrick, who has also played for the Rams, Bengals, Titans and Texans, spent four years in Buffalo. His best season with the Bills was 2011 when he completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,832 yards and 24 touchdowns.

>    http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/09/chip_kelly_gives_chan_gailey_credit_for_jets_ryan.html#incart_river

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-- The New York Jets didn't do many things right on Sunday. One of them came after the game. Todd Bowles was asked if Geno Smith could "move up the depth chart" -- clever phrasing by a reporter -- and the coach shut down any notion of a potential Smith-for-Ryan Fitzpatrick change.

"Ryan's our starter," Bowles said matter-of-factly.And that was all he said about that.

Indeed, it would be lunacy to entertain any notion of elevating Smith to his old position -- not now, anyway -- but Fitzpatrick's poor performance in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a painful reminder of what the Jets have at quarterback: They don't have a complete player. They don't have the guy who can raise the level of those around him. Game managers are OK, gunslingers are better. They need one of those.

They needed one of those on Sunday.

Presiding over a depleted offense -- no Eric Decker and no Chris Ivory -- Fitzpatrick fell behind by 24 points and was forced to go pass crazy. The Jets were cooked. He tied a career high with 58 pass attempts, including three that were caught by the bad guys -- all in field-goal range, all in the second half.Fitzpatrick's three interceptions were damaging, and they came on a day in which Smith -- in uniform for the first time since his jaw was broken -- was the No. 2 quarterback. He leapfrogged rookie Bryce Petty, who also was dressed for the game.

Stop it right there. This is no time to launch a "Geno for quarterback" campaign. Remember, we're talking about Geno Smith, he of 34 interceptions in 29 starts. Fitzpatrick was good enough to help the Jets to two victories, and we know he can win if they adhere to a specific script. On Sunday, they went way off the script. They couldn't run the ball, and that cushy field position from the first two games -- courtesy of defensive takeaways -- was nonexistent.In other words, they exposed Fitzpatrick. You could almost see him turning into a pumpkin before everyone's eyes. Brace yourself, because there will be more games like this. The defense can't force five turnovers every week and the running game will have days when it sputters. If those days start to stack up, Bowles will go back to Smith, his No. 1 guy before IK Enemkpali unleashed his infamous punch.

"Three interceptions," Bowles lamented. "You can't turn the ball over. That's without saying. Whether they get tipped or anything like that, we know we can't turn the ball over. You're not going to win a game throwing three interceptions."Fitzpatrick is what he is -- a career journeyman, a good leader and a good guy. He can thrive when his supporting cast is making plays, as it was the previous Monday night in Indianapolis, but he can't do it when the only weapon is Brandon Marshall -- who, by the way, hurt the cause with his bonehead lateral-turned-fumble. The Eagles' strategy was simple: Double Marshall, overplay the run and dare anyone else to beat them.

No one took the dare, and the pitch-and-catch game between Fitzpatrick and Marshall (10 receptions, 109 yards) wasn't nearly enough.

"At times, whether it was plays by me or other guys, we lacked a little bit of patience," Fitzpatrick said.

Clearly, he missed Decker (sprained knee), who has developed into his security blanket over the middle. Jeremy Kerley, plucked from moth balls, finished with six catches, including a touchdown, but he's no Decker. Rookie Devin Smith made his much-anticipated debut, but his skill set doesn't fit with Fitzpatrick, who doesn't throw a great deep ball -- and that's Smith's forte. The first interception came on a slightly underthrown long pass to Smith in the end zone.Fitzpatrick's first two interceptions resulted from bad throws, not bad decisions. What else would you expect from a Harvard guy? On the second pick, he was rushed by Brandon Bair, who tipped the pass to linebacker Jordan Hicks. Fitzpatrick took some of the blame, saying, "I might have created a problem for myself there, the way I moved [in the pocket]." His third interception also was a deflection, this time off Marshall's hands. Marshall said it was his fault. The latter two came on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, killing any shot at a comeback.

"They hurt us," Fitzpatrick said.If the mistakes persist, Bowles will be forced to make a change. That time isn't now, but it seems inevitable.

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54558/time-for-jets-to-give-geno-smith-a-shot-dont-even-go-there

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The answer -- at least for the time being -- is no. As it should be.

Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't come close to playing himself out of the Jets' starting quarterback job, and there is not even the hint of a thought on coach Todd Bowles' part to make a change now that Geno Smith has fully recovered from a broken jaw.

"Ryan's our starter," Bowles said after Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions in a 24-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.No further explanation needed. Nor a follow-up question for clarification. Bowles' thinking is perfectly logical.The first-year head coach is a calm, patient man who is mindful of the bigger picture, even if some early-season alarm bells went off about Fitzpatrick's poor showing in the Jets' first loss of the season. He wasn't sharp after two impressive performances, but he was far from the only guilty party in a mostly sloppy loss.The running game was a non-factor without Chris Ivory (quadriceps), there was no Eric Decker (knee) and the defense produced only one turnover after creating 10 the first two weeks.

Once the Jets went down 24-0, Fitzpatrick had no choice but to put the ball in the air more than he wanted to. The result was a career-high 58 passes, and more often than not, bad things will happen when your quarterback throws that often. It wasn't surprising that he threw three interceptions."The formula for us is not turning the ball over and throwing it 58 times," said Fitzpatrick, whose previous high in attempts was 51 when he played for the Bills in 2010. "I think we know that. We've got to play a better game, a smarter game, and everybody on offense will contribute."

Bowles is correctly taking the long view in all this. Thus, his immediate reaction was to close the door on any speculation about Fitzpatrick remaining the starting quarterback. No need to go back on that decision after one bad game.And if a change eventually is needed, it will be clear to everyone -- starting with Bowles -- that there is good reason to make a switch. That means it will take a series of bad games for him to make a move.No Ivory meant no power running game and no Decker meant Brandon Marshall was the go-to receiver. Not that Marshall can't handle that role, but any team is much better when its top two receivers are in the mix.

Marshall responded with an uneven effort. He led the Jets with 10 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, but he also made a foolish decision to attempt a lateral as he was being tackled, which resulted in a fumble the Eagles converted into a touchdown to make it 24-0. Marshall also short-armed a pass in the fourth quarter, and the ball deflected off his hands for an interception.

No excuses from Fitzpatrick, though.

"We had the two interceptions that hurt us," he said. "We had plenty of chances in the fourth quarter maybe to continue the momentum, and who knows what happens there."It was particularly disappointing for Fitzpatrick to disappoint a crowd buzzing with anticipation after the Jets' unlikely 2-0 start."You felt the buzz and excitement pregame, the 'whiteout' and all that stuff," said Fitzpatrick, referencing the white towels fans were given at the game. "To come out and disappoint them, it's tough. But now we know we're not going to be undefeated this year."

He knows he still has his coach's confidence, even if that won't change his approach."I'm going to be the same guy every day," he said. "Coming off a loss like this and just feeling the disappointment, turning the ball over and not putting up enough points. I thought our defense played well enough for us to win. All that's just motivation to climb that hill, continue to try and get better as an offense, make some plays."

Fitzpatrick will get more chances to do just that. As it should be.It's not time to make a change.Not until there's demonstrable proof that there ought to be one. And if that day ever comes, it will be obvious to all.

Especially the coach. And even the quarterback.

>      http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/one-bad-game-shouldn-t-cost-ryan-fitzpatrick-his-starting-job-with-jets-1.10896954

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NY Jets: Geno vs Fitz  : The Final Word

n an effort to cut through the endless, redundant and boring debates about which mediocre-to-bad quarterback the Jets should be starting, I have sifted through the entirety of the evidence, distilled it all into a blindingly brilliant analysis of the precise factors which must go into such a decision, and in a selfless act of benevolence towards my fellow Gang Green Nation members, I herewith share with all of you a monumental work of heartbreaking genius which should and therefore will end for all time the heretofore incessantly mind numbing Jets quarterback debates.To wit, it’s so simple. All we have to do is divine from what we know of the two quarterbacks. Is Geno Smith the sort of quarterback who would poison his own team's chances for victory, or his opponent's? Now, a clever man would choose Ryan Fitzpatrick, because he would know that only a great fool would choose a quarterback who turns the ball over on a whim. But we are not great fools, so we can clearly not choose Geno. But our opponents must have known we are not great fools; they would have counted on it, so we clearly cannot choose Fitzpatrick.

Well, that finishes it then, doesn't it?  Not remotely!  Because Fitzpatrick comes from Harvard, as everyone knows. And Harvard is a place entirely peopled with geeks. And geeks are used to having athletes crush them, as Geno crushed Fitzpatrick in training camp. So we can clearly not choose Fitzpatrick.   Ah, Harvard!!  But of course we should have known that Geno comes from West Virginia.  And West Virginia is a place peopled entirely of coal miners.  And coal miners never see the light of day, and therefore lack the vision to be quarterback.  So we can clearly not choose Geno Fitzpatrick played for Chan before, and Chan is our offensive coordinator, so we can clearly not choose Geno.  Yet Chan worked with Fitzpatrick, yet chose Geno as the starter in training camp, so we can clearly not choose Fitzpatrick.Geno's beaten the Patriots, which means he's a giant slayer. So, we might trust Geno's ability to defeat elite teams and arch rivals to save us. So we can clearly not choose Fitzpatrick. On the other hand, Geno has been beaten like a drum in some of the worst performances known to man, so we clearly cannot choose Geno.  Fitzpatrick bested Luck himself, which means he must be lucky, and since we'd rather be lucky than good, we clearly must choose Fitzpatrick. On the other hand, Fitzpatrick went to Harvard, and while there he must have studied. And in studying, he must have learned that Luck is fickle and no man can count on always having the best of Luck, so we can clearly not choose Fitzpatrick.

What's that ? 

You think I'm just stalling ?  Look over there! 

Is that Aaron Rodgers ?  No?  No matter.  Let's choose then.  We choose... Fitzpatrick.

[Opponents]: You chose poorly.

Ha!  You only think we chose poorly! That's what's so funny!  You fools! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders.  The most famous is never root for the Jets if you want to win a Super Bowl.   But only slightly less well known is never  choose a Jets quarterback when the season is on the line.  Ah ha! Ah hahahahaha!

[Opponents]  And to think, all that time it was Geno who was the bad quarterback.

Ha!  They are both bad quarterbacks.  As Jets fans we have spent a lifetime working up an immunity to bad quarterbacks.

>    http://www.ganggreennation.com/2015/9/29/9417861/ny-jets-geno-vs-fitz-the-final-word

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Ryan Fitzpatrick spent his training camp shrugging off criticism over his arm strength and lack of ability to throw deep. He was unfazed about the frequent knocks against him and said he had heard it all before.But three weeks into this Jets season —which has started relatively well for Gang Green — concern has been mounting about the veteran quarterback’s limitations in throwing the ball downfield.

In last week’s loss to the Eagles, Fitzpatrick went 0-for-8 with an interception in passes that traveled 20 or more yards in the air, according to ProFootballFocus.com. For the season, he has completed just three of 20 attempts on passes of at least 20 yards in the air.By comparison, there are plenty of other questionable quarterbacks with higher completion percentages on passes of 20 yards and beyond such as: Tyrod Taylor (40%), Ryan Tannehill (39%) Jameis Winston (46%) and Blake Bortles (33%), all according to ProFootballFocus.com.

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick, now an analyst for NFL Network, said demonstrating an ability to throw deep is important for the Jets.“You have to be able to take the top off the defense,” Billick said in a phone interview. “It’s not enough (just to throw it deep). At some point you have to connect deep.”

Arm strength, however, is not necessarily the issue, the former coach thought.

“Obviously, when you look at Ryan Fitzpatrick’s total work, he’s never really been with an explosive team,” he said. “Deep balls are not a function of arm strength, it’s a matter of touch and timing. So it’s kind of hard to put a finger on why they haven’t been more explosive.”Of course, the numbers could be worse: Sam Bradford has yet to complete a pass traveling at least 20 yards in the air this season — though he’s only attempted seven, per ProFootballFocus.com. That might not be much of a surprise to Jets fans, because while the Eagles won on Sunday, Bradford did not look good.

The problem for the Jets against Philadelphia was that, once they fell behind, they needed to rely too much on Fitzpatrick.He ended up attempting 58 passes, which, even by the quarterback’s own admission, was too many.“For Ryan Fitzpatrick, in my opinion you want to keep it to a 30-35 throw game,” Billick said. “You get up (higher) you’re going to get all of Ryan Fitzpatrick, and that means the good and bad.”

Often when fans imagine a successful Jets season, they picture something in the vein of the 2000 Ravens team that Billick coached. With Trent Dilfer as their quarterback, that team won the Super Bowl.“Anytime a team plays good defense and is marginal at quarterback, that comparison is made,” Billick said. “Which is probably not fair because we’re not talking about good defense, we’re talking about all-time great defense.”

He also pointed out that the league didn’t have quite as many star quarterbacks at that time, and that he didn’t have to go through teams that had QBs the caliber of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

>    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-concern-growing-fitzpatrick-inability-deep-article-1.2379399

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The Jets have planned in meticulous detail just about every minute leading up to Sunday’s game against the Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London.

Meetings, feedings, practices and even leisure time spent on sightseeing are scheduled for specific times, though coach Todd Bowles would prefer his players save the tourist stuff for a later date.“They’ve got enough money,” Bowles said on Thursday before the Jets’ evening flight to London. “They can go back in the offseason.”What the Jets can’t calculate is whether they’ll be returning to the US with a win or a budding quarterback controversy. Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his fourth start as the Jets quarterback against the 1-2 Dolphins. Geno Smith, the incumbent starter who missed most of training camp with a broken jaw after being punched by a teammate, figures to be the backup quarterback for the second straight week.

The Jets are Fitzpatrick’s team after season-opening wins over the Browns (31-10) and Colts (20-7). But a 24-17 loss to the Eagles Sunday at MetLife Stadium exposed a blueprint that could haunt the Jets. With Eric Decker out with an injury and the running game struggling without injured Chris Ivory, the Eagles loaded up to stop the Jets’ running attack and forced Fitzpatrick to beat them through the air. He couldn’t do it. Fitzpatrick threw 58 passes, completed 35 for 283 yards and two scores. But he also threw three interceptions.

Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said Thursday an ineffective running game (16 carries, 47 yards) hurt the entire offensive production against the Eagles.“They were committing extra guys off the edge that created problems,” Gailey said, assuring, “We’ve altered some things to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”Expect the Dolphins and just about every other Jets opponent to copy what the Eagles did and focus on stopping the run, forcing Fitzpatrick to beat them through the air. Ivory is expected to play Sunday, which should help, but the Jets likely could be without Decker for the second straight week. Without Decker and without a running game, Fitzpatrick will be in trouble again.

“It’s going to be a huge mental week for us, just making sure we know exactly what we’re doing on offense and what we’re trying to get accomplished,” Fitzpatrick said this week.What the Jets must do is soften a Dolphins defense determined to jump-start a pass rush that has produced one sack. They can do it with a good running game complemented by a passing game with a deep threat. The long ball has to be more of a weapon, especially if rookie speedster Devin Smith plays to expectations. Fitzpatrick has completed just five pass plays of 20 yards or more over three games and was 0-for-8 on passes of 20 yards or more against the Eagles.

Bottom line: Fitzpatrick has to prove he can throw it deep to keep defenses from loading up against the run.

“He’s got to put it out there, and guys have to get open, too,” Bowles said. “It’s not just Ryan. They’ve got to run better routes and pass protect.”Bowles indicated Geno Smith likely will be the backup again Sunday and offered a lukewarm assessment of Smith’s progress in practice.“I wouldn’t say he’s caught up on everything,” Bowles said. “But he has a good grasp of what we’re trying to do.”

Fitzpatrick still has the confidence of his teammates. The journeyman from Harvard has done a decent job overall. The Jets are the seventh-ranked offense in the AFC and 17th in the league, averaging 333 yards per game (154 rushing/179 passing). Ryan has completed 72 of 116 for 706 yards and six touchdowns and five interceptions. Not bad. Not great. But the Jets might be forced to re-evaluate their starting quarterback should things go badly in London.

>      http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/ryan-fitzpatricks-a-bad-start-away-from-a-geno-controversy/

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— He might have connected with Brandon Marshall on a 58-yard completion on the game's first play—"We talked about being aggressive," Jets head coach Todd Bowles said—but Ryan Fitzpatrick still underthrew it.Marshall, the Jets' wideout, had to slow down, and he made a tremendous catch because Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes was able to get a hand near the ball. But had Fitzpatrick hit him stride, it would have been a touchdown.The Jets scored two plays later, thanks to runs by Chris Ivory, and they would beat the Dolphins, 27-14 at Wembley Stadium to improve to 3-1, but they're still getting by despite erratic performances from Fitzpatrick, no matter what his 91.4 Total QBR from Sunday's game might indicate.

What to like: Fitzpatrick threw just one interception, and he's now thrown six in four games. But what the Jets want him to do is to not turn the ball over. He also was hit just three times, and he was quick to scramble, racking up 34 yards on nine carries and making a handful of throws after he got out of the pocket. His final numbers—16-for-29 for 218 yards, one touchdown, one interception—were right around what the Jets want and expect from him. week-in and week-out. It helped, too, that wideout Eric Decker (four catches on five targets, 46 yards, one touchdown) was back from his sprained knee after missing one game. Fitzpatrick was especially effective on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half that pushed the Jets' lead to 20-7. He relied on short, quick throws and completed 5 of 7 passes, and he also had a 19-yard scramble on third-and-2 to move the chains.

What not to like: As noted above, Fitzpatrick still struggles with the deep ball. The Jets have been able to get by with this limitation to win three of their first four games, but they're going to need something better against a quality opponent. Fitzpatrick and rookie wideout Devin Smith seemed not to be on the same page; on at least one incompletion, Smith appeared to run the wrong route. But there were several occasions when Fitzpatrick forced the ball into coverage and was fortunate not to turn the ball over. He's good enough to keep winning, but one gets the feeling these flaws are soon going to catch up him—and the Jets—in a big game down the road. As long as the Jets keep winning, however, Fitzpatrick deserves to keep his job.

Grade: C+

>    http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/ryan_fitzpatrick_again_flawed_as_jets_win_qb_repor.html#incart_river

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Jets rewind: The wild Ryan Fitzpatrick ride still better than Geno

SOMEWHERE OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN — The Jets improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2010 with a 27-14 victory over the AFC East rival Dolphins. Here are a few thoughts on the game:

1. So do you believe in Fitzmagic? Ryan Fitzpatrick is fascinating to watch. It is never pretty, but he finds a way to get things done. Some of his passes Sunday looked like they would hit the clouds and bring rain with them. He seems at times to chuck it as far as he can and hope for the best. That kind of play makes it feel as if he’s always one throw away from an interception. But you can’t argue with the results. Fitzpatrick comes up with big throws when the team needs them. He also found a way to make plays with his feet Sunday, running for three first downs.Is Fitzpatrick a long-term answer at quarterback for the Jets? No. But he could be good enough to lead the Jets to the playoffs if they keep running the ball and playing defense like they did Sunday.The 3-1 start makes you wonder where this team would be had Geno Smith paid IK Enemkpali $600 and kept his jaw intact. My guess is 2-2. I still think the Jets would have beaten the Browns and Dolphins. I don’t think they would have beaten the Colts on that Monday night with Smith.

To me, Fitzpatrick has two things Smith did not. Fitzpatrick can read defenses. His interceptions mostly come from poor throws. Smith rarely seemed to know what he was looking at with defenses and threw a lot of terrible interceptions right to a defender.Fitzpatrick also has a calming presence for the entire team. The Jets believe in Fitzpatrick. They never believed in Smith. Fitzpatrick is a veteran who has seen it all. That is a reassuring thing for his teammates. He also has a steady demeanor. He always seems to be in a good mood. The man has five kids. Football is the easy part of his day. Smith is moody and unpredictable. He also has a cockiness about him without the resume to back it up. That rubs teammates the wrong wayJets fans are going to have a fun, sometimes bumpy road with Fitzpatrick under center this season. It might not always be pretty, but it has been effective.

2. I was skeptical about the NFL playing in London. Even after arriving on Thursday, it seemed like no one was talking about the NFL. The focus was on the Rugby World Cup and soccer.But the scene on Sunday was awesome. Wembley Stadium was packed with 83,986 loud fans. They sang songs, did chants and cheered what seemed to be every punt or kickoff (they love kicking). Fans filled Wembley with jerseys from all different teams. Many were not Jets fans or Dolphins fans, just NFL fans excited to see a game. So one row had fans with Marshawn Lynch, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady jerseys next to each other. A man with a Packers jersey wore his cheesehead hat proudly. It was a ton of fun.The coolest moment to me was the singing of “God Save the Queen.” Fans sang along, and not like people do in the United States. They sang it at the top of their lungs, almost screaming it, so it was extremely loud.

Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall raved about the experience.

“That first day I’ve never felt anything like that. It was tough,” Marshall said. “I was kind of grumpy a little bit, like, ‘Man, why do we have to travel over here?’ But I’ve got to say when we got out there today, it was a different feeling. The crowd was into it even though we need to teach them some things. They were rowdy. They were loud. It was actually a fun environment. It was one of the best games as far as environments go that I’ve ever played in. I was kind of surprised by that. I thought it would be just a quiet game with a lot of people eating popcorn and maybe drinking a brew, but it wasn’t that.”

3. A pretty neat story to come out of this game was safety Dion Bailey. The Jets claimed him off waivers last Monday after the Seahawks waived him. Bailey started the first two games of the season for Seattle, but then Kam Chancellor ended his holdout and the Seahawks cut Bailey.Bailey flew from Seattle to New Jersey on a red-eye flight Monday night. He practiced with the Jets on Wednesday and Thursday and then flew to London with the team on Thursday night. So he jumped eight time zones over the course of five days. While dealing with all of that, he was also trying to learn the Jets playbook.The plan was for Bailey to play just special teams Sunday, but Calvin Pryor went down with a right knee bruise in the fourth quarter and Bailey was pressed into action. He came in on the series when the Dolphins drove the Jets’ 2 with a chance to make it a one-score game. Bailey came up with two big tackles and tight coverage on Miami tight end Jordan Cameron forced him out of bounds for an incompletion. It was quite a debut.An undrafted player out of USC, Bailey told USA Today the only reason he had a passport was a charitable trip he made to Haiti a few years ago with former USC quarterback Matt Barkley.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” an exhausted Bailey said after the game.

4. It is time to recognize the Jets’ offensive line is playing at a very high level. The group did not allow a sack Sunday for the third time in four games. They also opened the holes that allowed the Jets to rush for 207 yards.There were questions about this group in the offseason. Were D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold declining? How would James Carpenter fit at left guard? Who would be the right guard? So far, they have answered all those questions.Brian Winters started at right guard in place of the injured Willie Colon. Other than two penalties, Winters played well. He stopped the $114 million man Ndamukong Suh, who was barely a factor.

Game ball: This one is easy this week. Chris Ivory was a beast, running 29 times for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown. Ivory is so much fun to watch. Not only is he unafraid of contact, he invites it. When Ivory is rolling like he was Sunday, the entire team feeds off his energy.

Revealing stat: Fitzpatrick, not known for his wheels, ran for 34 yards. That would have led the Dolphins in rushing. The Jets defense completely shut down the Miami run game. Miami’s leading rusher was wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who had two rushes for 29 yards, breaking a couple of end-arounds. Their top running back, Lamar Miller, had 26 yards on seven carries.

Surprising snap count: Linebacker Quinton Coples played just 15 snaps, the lowest total of his career for a game in which he’s active. Part of the reason was the Jets played a ton of nickel and dime against Miami’s spread attack. But Lorenzo Mauldin played 20 snaps and Leger Douzable, who has been playing more on the outside this year, had 26 snaps. The Jets picked up Coples’ fifth-year option for next year, but that is only guaranteed for injury, meaning the Jets could cut him after this year if they are not happy with him. It will be an interesting decision.

>   http://nypost.com/2015/10/05/jets-rewind-the-wild-ryan-fitzpatrick-ride-still-better-than-geno/

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Several hours after a punch by then-teammate IK Enemkpali fractured Geno Smith’s jaw on Aug. 11, Jets coach Todd Bowles was barraged with questions about how long Smith’s successor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, might hold onto his new job and if Bowles believed players can lose their starting positions due to injury.

Answering one of those many questions, Bowles said, "If the other guy is playing well and the boat is going right and there are no waves and everything is going and we’re 4, 5, 6, 7-0? Yeah, you’re not coming back to start."Well, the first-year coach wasn’t quite clairvoyant. The Jets are 3-1 heading into Sunday’s game against Washington, but that record is more than good enough for Bowles to stick with the veteran Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick’s raw numbers aren’t exactly eye-catching. He ranks 27th in the NFL in completion percentage with 60.7 percent accuracy, and his passer rating of 78.1 also places him 27th in the league.He is tied for 12th in touchdown passes with seven, despite many of his NFL counterparts already having played one more game than Fitzpatrick and the Jets.However, he also has thrown six interceptions, tied for third-worst. But here’s an interesting oddity that has helped the Jets win three of their first four games: None of Fitzpatrick’s picks has led to a score by the opposition.

It also can be argued that of the six interceptions, three weren’t really his fault. In the Jets’ lone loss to Philadelphia, Fitzpatrick had one interception that occurred because the ball was tipped near the line of scrimmage. That happened because right guard Brian Winters allowed pressure from his defender, who deflected it.Later in that same game, Fitzpatrick was on target to Brandon Marshall, but the star wideout let the ball sift through his fingers and it was intercepted. However, give Marshall credit for erasing the potential effect of Fitzpatrick’s first pick of the season by stripping Cleveland’s Tashaun Gipson of the ball and recovering it to preserve a Jets scoring drive.

Against Miami, Fitzpatrick had a deep pass picked off by Zack Bowman, but it appeared Bowman had shoved rookie receiver Devin Smith to the ground before making the play. No penalty was called despite the contact.Part of the reason Fitzpatrick’s picks haven’t proven to be costly is that most of them have been on deep passes. Still, the 11th-year pro needs to become more consistent on his long throws. Even his 58-yard completion to Marshall against Miami, the Jets’ longest play from scrimmage of 2015, was underthrown slightly. The one major advantage Smith has over Fitzpatrick is arm strength.

Quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo said Monday he isn’t worried about that aspect of Fitzpatrick’s game.

"Certain times we ask him to throw the ball deep" because of the game plan, Patullo said. "Other times we have go routes or something on the outside [secondary patterns] and he takes a chance because the coverage might dictate it or depending on the score. It’s all kind of relative and I understand sometimes it looks bad. … But it shouldn’t really be an issue; it’s really not right now."

>    http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/fitzpatrick-getting-the-job-done-1.1431904

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Just as many of us predicted in the thread in the face of catcalls, Geno the Genius pulled a dunce move and opened the door for Fitz. Granted most assumed it would be his moronitude manifested on the field, but result is the same: Too dumb to play QB in the N-F-L. Adios muchachos and buenos dias.

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