..has FitzMagic run OUT ? ?.. and the 2017 QB market ~ ~ ~

[joewilly12]

11 hours ago, SAR I said:

Agree completely.

We are going to go 7-9 this year, Petty won't see the field, Geno will be gone, Hackenberg won't be ready, and Fitzpatrick knows the system.  Next year we start Petty or someone we've drafted, Fitzpatrick will be the backup and mentor to the young QB crew.

SAR I

Why would any team want Ryan Fitzpatrick as a mentor to the young QB's what is he going to teach them? 

[FTL Jet Fan]

17 hours ago, drdetroit said:

We're signing Cutler.  Writing is on the wall.  Mac loves former Bears plus a change of scenery would actually benefit him

If anyone is getting Cutler it would be Miami, he had his best season under Gase.

[PepPep]

Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty in 2017  

[kelly]

-- The New York Jets don't have a Ryan Fitzpatrickproblem. They have an everything problem, but all eyes will be on Todd Bowles to see how he handles his quarterback situation in the coming weeks. For now, he's sticking with Fitzpatrick. The coach made that clear Monday night after an ugly 28-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

"Fitz will be back next week," said Bowles, claiming his decision to insertGeno Smith in the fourth quarter was strictly a mop-up move.Fitzpatrick doesn't deserve another shot based on his recent performances, but it's the right call. Give him one last chance. The season is over, so what difference does it make? It's too soon to play the kids,Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, so let Fitzpatrick start against theBaltimore Ravens on a short leash.

Quite obviously, Smith wants the job.

The Jets' backup made his feelings clear near the end of the third quarter. Moments after Fitzpatrick threw his 11th interception of the season, including his fourth in the red zone, Smith emerged from his seat on the bench, flung his baseball cap about 10 feet and paced anxiously. A minute or so later, he tossed a cup of ice toward the field of play. His body language screamed, "Put me in!" Quite frankly, it was a bush-league display.

Smith chalked it up to "just frustration. We're not putting up points, we're not winning the game." He was either showing up Fitzpatrick or telling the world he wanted to play. Either way, it sent a bad message. But he got his wish.Smith replaced Fitzpatrick with 8:20 remaining in the game and the Jets trailing 28-3 -- aka garbage time. Bowles should have made the move at halftime, if only to shake up the mojo, but this much we know about Bowles: He doesn't have a quick hook. Smith completed a few passes against soft coverage, but he also joined the pick party, throwing an interception on his first series. He finished 4-of-6 for 31 yards.

Afterward, Bowles channeled his inner Joe Girardi, using a baseball analogy to describe his quarterback situation. Smith was simply a relief pitcher, replacing the starter, Bowles said.

Does he have a set-up man ?

"It definitely wasn't Fitz's fault," Bowles said.

The Jets, losers of four straight, have become a dumpster fire. They've been outscored 110-36 in the past four games, having managed only three touchdowns in that span -- and one of them was a fluke fumble recovery. They were an absolute mess in this game, committing 10 penalties and managing only two of 13 third-down conversions.

"We're 1-5. It's ugly. It's grim," Brandon Marshall said.

Fitzpatrick (16-of-31, 174 yards) was the third-most accurate quarterback in the Phoenix area, behind the Cards' Carson Palmer and former scattershot passer Tim Tebow, who is now playing baseball in the Arizona Instructional League. Yeah, it was that bad, but it wasn't entirely Fitzpatrick's fault. His pass protection was shaky and his receivers were Marshall and a bunch of inexperienced kids. Yes, they lost a good player in Eric Decker, but this collapse can't be blamed on his absence.The Jets are a flawed team, and that falls on general manager Mike Maccagnan, who assembled a win-now team that isn't winning now. Forget about the playoffs. Since 1970, only two teams rallied from a 1-5 start to make the postseason -- the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals and the 2015Kansas City Chiefs.

Bowles has bigger problems than at quarterback. His vaunted run defense, the only thing they do well, was ripped apart by David Johnson, who ran for 111 yards and three touchdowns. They did nothing in the second half, as usual. They've been outscored, 51-7, in the third and fourth quarters of the last four games.The last thing they need is a quarterback controversy that divides the locker room, but you saw subtle signs on Monday night. Smith made his feelings known by his behavior on the sideline, which prompted no reaction from Fitzpatrick after the game. It was noteworthy that Fitzpatrick mentioned how he believes "those guys in the huddle" still believe in him, adding, "You can go ahead in the locker room and ask them all if you want."

Bold words, indeed.

>      http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64019/time-for-jets-to-bench-ryan-fitzpatrick-it-doesnt-matter-theyre-a-mess

[kelly]

-- What now, coach?

When a team falls into a losing spell, avoiding the end zone as if it's a radioactive dump site, the beleaguered coach usually makes the handbook move: Bench the quarterback and tell everyone the decision was done to create a spark.

New York Jets coach Todd Bowles took that option off the table after Monday night's 28-3 loss to Arizona, declaring that Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the starter even though he pulled him for the final eight minutes of garbage time.Another popular scapegoat is a coordinator. A handful of coordinators already have been fired across the league, including one move that has worked out brilliantly. Buffalo canned Greg Roman after a Week 2 loss to the Jets, promoting Anthony Lynn to run the offense. Since then, the Bills are 4-0.

Could Bowles go that route? It would be extreme and out of character for the even-keeled Bowles to throw one of his coordinators overboard, but owner Woody Johnson is said to be upset and frustrated by the team's poor start, as ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Monday morning.If Johnson was ticked off before the game, imagine how he feels after his team was embarrassed on national television. They have lost four straight, having been outscored, 110-36. It doesn't get much worse than that.

"There's a whole bunch of things wrong, obviously," Bowles said of his disappearing offense. "It's coaches and players. They're not making plays, we're not putting them in the right position to make plays. They have to do a better job as players, we have to do a better job as coaches."

Bowles has said he has total trust in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, although it should be noted he started spending more time recently in meetings with the offensive coaches. Gailey is a smart coach who hasn't looked smart for a month. Eric Decker's absence has hurt the passing game, Matt Forte hasn't found the fountain of youth, the offensive line has regressed and Fitzpatrick leads the NFL with 11 interceptions. Gailey hasn't adapted well, showing no creativity in his game plans.

So what can Bowles do ?

There aren't many options. He can increase Bilal Powell's workload. Powell is more elusive than Forte and, the way the line is blocking, a running back with elusiveness is important. They can try to create a role for Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who sat out with ankle injury, even though it would be pretty radical for Gailey to feature the tight end.Defensively, the Jets took a positive step on Monday night, trying to re-create their old personality -- blitzing and attacking. After a month of playing passively because of the number of big pass plays, Bowles cranked up the heat, blitzing Carson Palmer on 68 percent of his dropbacks, the Jets' second-highest blitz percentage in the past five years.

We got back to ourselves," Bowles said.

The results weren't there -- no turnovers, no sacks and six penalties by the secondary -- but at least they made a conscious effort to shake up the status quo. The anticipated return of linebacker David Harris(hamstring) should help, but it'll take more than that. Bowles should have a sitdown with Muhammad Wilkerson -- or sit him down. The $86 million defensive end, who admitted last week he was playing "sh---y," did nothing to change that perception.

"We've got to get a spark somehow," Bowles said of the team. "We're in games and we're making too many bad mistakes at critical times on both sides of the ball. ... We've got to make plays. We've got to make a play at a critical time to get us going."Coaches can do that, too, but the quarterback isn't getting benched. Unless Bowles jettisons an assistant coach, it'll be the same old Jets.

>       http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64034/jets-todd-bowles-wont-bench-his-qb-but-he-needs-to-do-something-fast

[joewilly12]

Spoken like a true MORON 

"It definitely wasn't Fitz's fault," Bowles said.

[Ken Schroy]

Fitz is done

Cutler is a head case. He isn't coming here.

[kelly]

Joe Namath knows quarterbacks. So when the Jets legend appeared on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown before the Jets-Cardinals battle on Monday Night Football, the subject of Ryan Fitzpatrick came up.

Criticism wasn't held back.

"If he were a more gifted passer, you'd have a chance."

At this point, it's hard to find someone—Jets legend or not—that's willing to defend Fitzpatrick. At halftime on Monday night, Twitter had a field day at the former journeyman's expense. But Namath's criticism might be the most striking thus far. It's not just a critique of his play this season, statistics or game-by-game issues for the 2016 Jets. Instead, it's a shot at his basic ability to throw the football like other topNFL quarterbacks.

If you've watched any of Fitzpatrick's NFL career, it's hardly a hot take from Namath. For the Jets, the reality of Namath's comments are probably the worse part. The quarterback that held out during the offseason really isn't a gifted thrower of the football.

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/10/joe_namath_offered_blunt_criticism_of_jets_ryan_fi.html#incart_river_index

[kelly]

One day after giving a vote of confidence to embattled quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets coach Todd Bowles backtracked on his commitment, hinting Tuesday he could turn to Geno Smith this weekend.

Bowles also expanded the quarterback controversy to four players, saying it's "definitely possible" that Bryce Petty and/or Christian Hackenbergcould play before the end of the season.

The coach backed Fitzpatrick after Monday night's 28-3 loss to theArizona Cardinals, saying, "Fitz will be back next week. ... Fitz is our starter."

Some 18 hours later, Bowles was waffling, which is out of character for him.

"First of all, after the game, it's always going to be status quo because I'm never going to tell the media anything before I meet with my coaches and my GM and the rest of the staff, so everything is status quo until we have our meeting [Tuesday night]," Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick leads the NFL with 11 interceptions and has led the offense to only three touchdowns during the Jets' current four-game losing streak.Bowles conceded he "revisited" the matter after his postgame news conference. He pulled Fitzpatrick midway through the fourth quarter of the blowout, inserting Smith, whose only series ended with an interception.

"He did show some promise when he was in there," Bowles said of Smith. "He understood the game plan and he did good for that drive he was in there."

Asked directly if Smith could start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens(3-3), Bowles said, "We have to talk about more than that. There's a possibility every week there will be some changes made, player-wise."Bowles didn't sound pleased that Smith told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters before the game that he was "getting antsy" to play."I don't have any thoughts on backup players saying anything," Bowles said. "They're backups for a reason. If they get a chance to play, they better prove themselves to be worthy of playing regardless of who that person is."

Smith also attracted attention on the sideline by throwing his baseball cap and tossing a cup of ice on the field moments after Fitzpatrick was intercepted at the end of the third quarter. Clearly frustrated, Smith paced the sideline, waiting for his shot, which came shortly after that."I don't think anything of it," Bowles said of Smith's sideline behavior.The Jets are 1-5. Since 1970, only two teams have rallied from a 1-5 start to make the postseason. With no quarterback of the future, the Jets are open to auditioning Petty and Hackenberg.

"It's possible," Bowles said. "We've still got some stages to go before we get to that point, but it's definitely possible."

>      http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17828168/todd-bowles-new-york-jets-coach-opens-door-sitting-quarterback-ryan-fitzpatrick

[Warfish]

I don't want any of the QB's on that list playing for the Jets in 2017.

Petty.  Hack.  Draft Pick.

Start Petty.  Then, if needed, start Hack.  If they fail, draft another QB.

Rinse & Repeat.

My tolerance for journeyman veteran QB's and fill-in-type players or even "have to have a veteran for insurance" purposes is over and done and dusted.

[kelly]

QB GRADES : JETS ARE JUST DREADFUL

Ryan Fitzpatrick has done badly enough that the Jets may finally be making the switch to Geno Smith. Remarkable to think this was the same guy that signed for one year, $12 million this offseason. Grading every QB

 

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

[FidelioJet]

Is that right?  Will we really have a $5mm cap hit next from Fitz next year to pay for this mess?

Wow, I am really starting to wonder about Mac....

[kelly]

-- The New York Jets are expected to have a big job opening for 2017 -- the starting quarterback position.

With Geno Smith and the demoted Ryan Fitzpatrick headed to free agency, and with Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg still untested, the Jets figure to be in the market. Let's break out the crystal ball and a long-range look at the possibilities.

"If I were [Jets general manager Mike] Maccagnan, I'd put my pro [scouts] on it right now," said a longtime talent evaluator. "I'd have them evaluating every quarterback in the league that might be available."If the Jets (1-5) continue losing, they might be in position to draft a top quarterback. For this discussion, we'll limit it to pro possibilities.

FREE AGENTS

Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins: This would require a major financial commitment, and we're talking about a quarterback with a 15-16 lifetime record. The Jets' current regime had some interest in Cousins more than a year ago, when Smith went out with a broken jaw.

Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He'd be more affordable than Cousins, but we're not talking about a franchise-caliber player. His career record is 5-13.

Brian Hoyer, Chicago Bears: Maccagnan has expressed interest in each of the last two offseasons. Hoyer is putting up good numbers with the Bears (even if he's not winning), and he'd be a decent, short-term consideration.

Landry Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers: Obviously, he hasn't played a lot, but some scouts like his upside. These next few weeks will determine his market value as he steps in for the injured Ben Roethlisberger.

UNDER CONTRACT

Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos: First-round pick Paxton Lynch is waiting in the wings, so Siemian could become expendable. The Jets would have to give up a lot in a trade, though, because the Broncos have him on the cheap for two more seasons.

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers: He can void his restructured contract, making him a free agent. Kaepernick has talent, but he hasn't played well in three years and his political beliefs would create a distraction in a market like New York.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: Haven't you been following America's quarterback controversy? Cap-wise it would be difficult, but not impossible, to trade or cut Romo. The downside: He'll be 37 and he's fragile. Upside: He'd be great box office, and owner Woody Johnson loves marquee quarterbacks.

Jay Cutler, Bears: Cutler has four years left on his contract, but he probably won't see that money from the Bears. His personality chafes many people, but some scouts believe he could succeed with the Jets if there's a strong offensive coach to rein him in.

Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: The Fish can cut bait after the season, but it would be a tremendous admission of failure considering they gave him a monster contract in 2015. Tannehill has talent, but he's maddeningly inconsistent.

Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots: Do you honestly think the Patriots would trade him within the division? And to the Jets? There's a better chance of Todd Bowles doing standup on "The Tonight Show."

>          http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64111/looking-into-crystal-ball-jets-starting-quarterback-in-2017-will-be

[Jet Nut]

Only way Fitz is back next year is as a backup, pseudo coach if we only have the 2 kids at QB.  Hes not going anywhere near the field, he's done 

[kelly]

Rich Cimini ESPN Staff Writer 

Jets OC Chan Gailey is a "Fitz Guy" -- he has coached Ryan Fitzpatrick for six years -- but he said he was on board with the QB change.

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

[joewilly12]

Macc needs to trade Fitzpatrick for a draft pick to compensate for what he put us all through the first 6 games of this season. 

Maybe Cleveland.

[kelly]

-- Two years ago, Ryan Fitzpatrick got benched by theHouston Texans after a Week 9 loss. He lost his starting job to the inexperienced Ryan Mallett, and he publicly expressed his displeasure.

Two weeks later, the Texans went back to Fitzpatrick, who responded with the game of his life -- six touchdown passes and 358 yards in a rout of Tennessee.

Maybe an angry Fitzpatrick is a good Fitzpatrick.

The New York Jets hope so. They're counting on him to channel his post-benching emotions into positive results when they face the Cleveland Browns."Just going off his comments, he seems pissed off," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. "If this is the thing that helps us all play better, I'm all for it. Say whatever you want to say; we need to win games."

After replacing the injured Geno Smith and rallying the Jets to a win last Sunday, Fitzpatrick made headlines by accusing team brass of losing faith in him. He's right -- the owner, general manager and coach bailed on him -- but he gave them cause by playing at an unacceptable level. Desperate for a spark, they turned to Smith.

Now they need him because Smith, playing the role of Mallett, wrecked his right knee and is done for the season.

Coach Todd Bowles downplayed Fitzpatrick's comments, saying he's cool with a "pissed off" quarterback as long as he cut downs on the turnovers."Whatever fuels the fire to play and be competitive, that's what it is," Bowles said. "I know Fitz, I know what he means. I have no problem with him venting his frustrations. He can use it as a positive. If that's going to cause us to win ballgames and be pissed off, so be it. As a player, I was pissed off at my coaches sometimes. That's just part of being an athlete."

Sometimes an athlete needs that extra edge to elevate his play, although it's not like Fitzpatrick lacked motivation at the start of the season. He signed a one-year, prove-it contract, hoping to cash in by leading the Jets to their first postseason appearance since 2010. It hasn't worked out.

Now he has a second chance, probably his last chance. Wouldn't it be crazy if he flips the script from Week 3? That day, he threw six interceptions.

>     http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64304/last-time-jets-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-returned-from-a-benching-6-tds

[bealeb319]

It is interesting to me that most of the qbs on this list are not going anywhere. Bridgewater isn't leaving the vikings roster it is ridiculous to think they would let him go injury or not. Tannehil will not be on any team other than the phins. Oswiler...really. Reading through the comments it gets even more absurd teams do not trade away their franchise qb period it does not and will not happen.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[kelly]

-- Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't back down. No, sir.

Addressing his postgame comments for the first time -- you know, his belief that team brass has lost its faith in him --- the New York Jets quarterback made it clear his feelings haven't changed even though he's back in the starter's role.

On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick did a small sidestep, but his sentiment was the same.

"There are probably a lot of people standing here with mics and cameras that don't believe in me, either," he said in front of his locker after practice. "That's fine. The basics of that is that I believe, and that’s the most important thing. Whether it’s in football or life, you’ve got to believe in yourself. That’s basically who I care about when I look in the mirror."

Asked if he regrets his postgame comments, Fitzpatrick said, "No, not at all."Fitzpatrick is a smart guy; he knew exactly what he was saying after the Jets' win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The "underlying message" of his post-game venting session, he explained, was his self-belief. That's the point he tried to emphasize on Wednesday -- that, and the fact that he has to play better.Fitzpatrick said he spoke with coach Todd Bowles about his remarks. He also chatted with general manager Mike Maccagnan and owner Woody Johnson at practice, although he characterized that as a "normal" mid-week conversation.

Johnson is paying Fitzpatrick $12 million this season, and he's not getting much on his return. Fitzpatrick is the NFL's lowest-rated passer, resulting in a brief demotion. He'd be on the bench again this week if it weren't for Geno Smith's season-ending knee injury."Basically, the discussion has been, we're all here to do the same thing -- win football games," Fitzpatrick said. "It doesn't matter how it happens. (Bowles) is always saying it's a show-me business. The business is based on production. You've got to produce. That's what I'm working on right now, and that's what I intend to do for the rest of the year."

He also intends to play "pissed off." That's cool with Bowles, who said he's fine with a pissed-off quarterback as long as he doesn't commit turnovers. Fitzpatrick said he was fine with Bowles' reaction."My angry is probably a little different than other people's angry," Fitzpatrick said. "My angry is still pretty controlled. That has been a mentality I've had my whole career in terms of what I feel about myself versus the doubters out there."

Teammate Eric Decker, a close friend, speculated in a radio interview that Fitzpatrick's mini-rant after the game may have been fueled by lingering "hard feelings" from the long contract dispute in the offseason."I don't care to comment on that," Fitzpatrick said. "We'll see how long this lingers."

>        http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64321/jets-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-doesnt-regrets-comments-about-team-brass

[kelly]

What a difference a week makes in the NFL. Last week, even through his postgame remarks after getting the relief win against the Ravens,  Ryan Fitzpatrick  expressed his displeasure at losing his starting job.

Today, with  Geno Smith  gone for the season with his knee injury, Fitzpatrick was back under center leading the first offense at practice. He wasn't retracting any of his postgame remarks, but he made it clear he knew that what had to be done for Sunday at Cleveland and into November is for him to play better."I was disappointed I got benched, but I was disappointed in the way that I had played, too," he said at his locker after practice, "so there's a lot of things that I'm continuing to work on but I continue to keep the faith in myself. ... We've just got to continue to move this thing in the right direction."

Specifically, turnovers provided many of the stress points in the Jets' 1-5 start. Fitzpatrick's 11 interceptions still lead the NFL and his 11 giveaways (no lost fumbles) are tied with three other QBs for most in the league. He had no giveaways as he took over for Smith and led the Jets from 16-14 down at halftime to the 24-16 win over the Ravens, which was a good start. But more needs to be done.It began with today's first workday of the new week. Fans hate hearing it, but the session went well, and WR  Brandon Marshall  said it had a familiar feel to it.

"To be honest with you, it wasn't a big deal," Marshall said of shifting from Smith back to Fitzpatrick leading the first offense. "Our season has been filled with a lot of adversity, a lot of challenges, so the good thing is we just got a win so it feels good. When you win, you get seven days to enjoy it ... and when you lose, you get a day to get over it. We're enjoying the week, man."

Fitzpatrick said there's one metric that will tell early in Sunday's game against the winless Browns if another enjoyable week is in the offing.

"I've got to do a better job," he said. "I think the biggest thing is just generating more points, getting off to better starts. I think when you start slow and you fall behind, some of the turnovers and stuff follow that. So getting off to a better start and scoring more points early will help us out."Certainly the Jets' record the last 1½ seasons bears this out. When they've taken a lead of four or more points in the first quarter, their record is 5-1 and their turnover margin is plus-12. When they've fallen behind by four or more points in the opening frame, their record is 2-5 and the TO margin is minus-10.

But the Ravens game is one of the outliers in this survey, as the Jets fell behind, 10-0, yet fought back for the win with a plus-1 margin. What more can be accomplished this year? Fitz was asked."We have to really put everything we have into Cleveland this week," he said, "and not really worry about our record or their record or how disappointing the season has been to this point. We won last week. We’re going to try to capture that momentum and just continue to build each week. It was a good feeling last week to do that, in front of the home crowd especially, offense and defense feeding off of each other. It was just fun."

Statistical Bookkeeping

The Elias Sports Bureau made a scoring change in Sunday's game that has made an impact in a few areas.The change was that Baltimore QB Joe Flacco was charged with a 5-yard rushing loss in the fourth quarter. The play was changed from a rushing loss to a sack for the Jets, since it appeared that when a Ravens lineman accidentally tripped him up, he was en route to a play-action handoff.

The sack goes to  Leonard Williams , who now has a team-leading six sacks for the season and is tied for sixth in the NFL.Of course, taking the 5-yard loss away from the rush defense means instead of 12 carries for 6 yards, the Ravens wound up with 11 carries for 11 yards. The yardage is still the record for fewest rush yards allowed in a game in franchise history, but now only a single yard better than the 12 yards the Dolphins gained at MetLife last year.

>        http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Fitzpatrick-Sets-Sights-on-Doing-a-Better-Job/104d99bb-03fc-4925-8f70-b6ffd8c21763

[kelly]

FITZPATRICK CAN'T FINISH DRIVES

Fitzmagic gets some second life this week, but 2016 hasn't been kind to the veteran QB so far. His 11 interceptions lead the NFL, and eight of those have come in the fourth quarter. Per ESPN Stats & Info, his four red zone interceptions lead the league, too.

 

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

[kelly]

-- By late Sunday afternoon, we'll know if the New York Jets' win last week was a cadaveric spasm or the start of a legitimate turnaround.

It doesn't seem right, calling the Cleveland Browns (0-7) a measuring-stick opponent, but that's where the Jets (2-5) are at this point. Physically, they're beat up. There were a season-high 27 DNPs in practice this week, encompassing 11 different injured players. They could be without at least four starters for this game.

Mentally, who knows? It was an odd week, starting with Ryan Fitzpatrick's post-game venting, followed by another quarterback change. Frankly, you wonder if some players already have checked out for the season. Darrelle Revis, not usually a rah-rah guy, gave a post-game speech last Sunday, imploring his teammates to embrace that winning feeling.

We'll see if they were listening.

"We're going to approach it like they were Super Bowl champs last year and undefeated this year," Buster Skrine said of the Browns, who probably would chuckle at Skrine's quote.

Five thoughts on the game :

1. This isn't a gimme: If you think the Jets will walk over the Browns, you haven't been paying attention the last two months. The Jets are a broken team. The Browns are a broken team -- really broken -- but they see this as their best shot to avoid the dreaded 0-16. They have a 39-percent chance to win, according to ESPN analystics -- Cleveland's highest percentage of their remaining games. Despite having started three different quarterbacks, the Browns are ranked higher on offense than the Jets -- 16th to 23rd. How alarming is that? This game will hinge on whether the Jets' defense shows up.

2. FitzMagic 2.0: Fitzpatrick, whose stay on the bench was brief, returns to the lineup for what figures to be his last hurrah. I don't think Todd Bowles will have a quick hook because he doesn't believe Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg is ready to step in, barring injury. Fitzpatrick said he plays better when he's "pissed off." Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey agreed, saying, "He's always played with that kind of chip on his shoulder. That's why he's been able to do what he's been able to do, because he plays that way." The last time Fitzpatrick returned from a benching he threw six touchdown passes in one game for the Houston Texans -- his total from the first seven games this year.

3. It's about time: It took longer than it should've, but the Jets featured the running game last week, and it worked. Essentially, they took the ball out of Fitzpatrick's hands -- a smart approach with an interception-prone quarterback. With Fitzpatrick in the game, they dropped back to throw on 42 percent of their plays. In Fitzpatrick’s first six starts, they dropped back on 67 percent of plays, sixth-most in the NFL. The run-first approach should be their new identity, especially against the marshmallow-soft Cleveland defense (31st against the run). Fantasy alert: Look for a lot of Matt Forte. Again.

4. Swag is back on D: I'll be keeping an eye on Sheldon Richardson, who played his best game of the season last week, in part, because he was back at his natural position (3-technique tackle). Without Muhammad Wilkerson, the Jets went back to a 3-4, allowing Richardson to play over the guard. That's where he does most of his damage, not as a 4-3 end or a 3-4 outside linebacker. Bowles thinks we're blowing this out of proportion, and that Richardson is good anywhere he plays. The stats suggest otherwise. With Wilkerson (ankle) likely to return, it could be back to the 4-3. Let's see if the defense can build on last week's encouraging game.

5. Props for Pryor: The Browns don't have a lot of good players, but they have one guy causing a great deal of concern at One Jets Drive -- Terrelle Pryor, who can catch, run and throw. Revis called him "one of the best athletes in the NFL. ... He's an awesome player." Pryor has a team-high 35 catches, four touchdowns (including one rushing) and five pass completions. His playing time was limited last week because of a hamstring injury, but he should be close to 100 percent. Revis, who believes he has his groove back, likely will cover Pryor. Edge: Pryor.

>       http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/64365/fitzmagic-is-back-but-jets-will-have-ruff-day-in-clevelands-dawg-pound

[kelly]

The Jets will have to address the quarterback position, somehow, next offseason. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith both almost certainly will be gone in free agency. That leaves Bryce Petty (2015 draft pick) and Christian Hackenberg (2016 draft pick) as the Jets' only holdover quarterbacks from this season.

Maybe the Jets will go afterone of these veterans to fill out their quarterback room, as they did with Fitzpatrick after the 2014 season.But if Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan feels like drafting a potential future starting quarterback for the third straight year, he could find limited options in 2017, at least according to the ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. 

Here's what McShay wrote this week, in an early take on 2017 draft: 

This is as bad a quarterback class as I can remember. Supply never seems to meet demand when it comes to quarterbacks in the draft, but we could be looking at an extreme case this year. As it stands now, I don't see a single franchise savior in the group.

That has to concern teams like the Browns, Bears, 49ers and Jets, who could all be in the market for a quarterback in the first round. This could change, of course, as I watch more tape (particularly on [North Carolina's Mitch] Trubisky) and as guys continue to develop. But right now, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking any of these quarterbacks in Round 1.

Yikes. 

By "any of these quarterbacks," McShay meant the players he listed in this piece.

At the top of his early quarterback prospects list are the "Tier 1" guys, all of whom he labels "talented but raw." There are three quarterbacks in this group: Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Miami's Brad Kaaya, and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer. McShay thinks none of them project as Round 1 picks right now. 

As McShay pointed out, it's been since 1996 that at least one quarterback didn't get drafted in Round 1. 

Regarding Trubisky, McShay labels him a wildcard guy right now, and here's why: 

I'll be perfectly candid: I have not studied tape on Trubisky. He wasn't on our radar over the summer, having thrown just 125 passes in his prior seasons, but he's the only guy in this class who I've gotten positive feedback on from scouts. With a 71.2 completion percentage and an 18-to-2 TD-INT ratio, Trubisky has had a true breakout season. He could be moving up my board soon.

What do you think of McShay's early quarterback prospects assessment, as it pertains to the Jets? Sound off in the comments. 

>        http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/10/bad_news_for_jets_no_franchise_savior_qb_in_2017_n.html#incart_river_index

[CotcheryifyouCan]

it has always felt to me cutler and the jets were destined (not that thats a good thing), but i say no way because marshall would have to leave or he will pull a murder suicide playing with cutler again

[SpartanJet]

I just wish we would work on drafting our own rather than get these retreads.  Lets face it aside from Rivers this list is like a list of polished turds.

[jetrider]

No, the magic hasn't run out.  Fitz's disappearing act is better than ever.

 

[Powpow]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 3:14 PM, Beerfish said:

CUTLER!  All in on the Cutler train.  Everybody do the locomotion!

Please Cutler is a douchebag.  And he'd cost a fortune and has taken a beating over the years.  He's on the downslope, has poor mobility and is despised around the league.  I can see the Jets getting him. 

[Powpow]

On ‎10‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 1:05 AM, SAR I said:

Agree completely.

We are going to go 7-9 this year, Petty won't see the field, Geno will be gone, Hackenberg won't be ready, and Fitzpatrick knows the system.  Next year we start Petty or someone we've drafted, Fitzpatrick will be the backup and mentor to the young QB crew.

SAR I

DUH.  Although the Genoites would deny this, Mac wanted to sign Fitz for 3 years 24 million. He settled for 12 mill one year. Mac would probably get him cheaper than the original 3 year 24 mill now that this year is practically shot. He would probably sign for 5 mill for 1 year or 10 for 2 years and back up Petty next year and mentor both. 

[drdetroit]

On 10/20/2016 at 3:49 PM, joewilly12 said:

Macc needs to trade Fitzpatrick for a draft pick to compensate for what he put us all through the first 6 games of this season. 

Maybe Cleveland.

No one wants Fitz especially at whatever it would cost to pay him rest of the season,

[drdetroit]

1 hour ago, Powpow said:

Please Cutler is a douchebag.  And he'd cost a fortune and has taken a beating over the years.  He's on the downslope, has poor mobility and is despised around the league.  I can see the Jets getting him. 

Get used to it.  Mac is already locked on him.

[drdetroit]

The guy we should be signing:

 

[BRONX DUDE]

Let's resign GENO  baby~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Powpow]

57 minutes ago, drdetroit said:

Get used to it.  Mac is already locked on him.

Where are u getting this info?

[UnitedWhofans]

1 hour ago, Powpow said:

DUH.  Although the Genoites would deny this, Mac wanted to sign Fitz for 3 years 24 million. He settled for 12 mill one year. Mac would probably get him cheaper than the original 3 year 24 mill now that this year is practically shot. He would probably sign for 5 mill for 1 year or 10 for 2 years and back up Petty next year and mentor both. 

No. He wanted to sign Fitz to a Revis like deal where they could cut bait after one year.

[Powpow]

1 minute ago, UnitedWhofans said:/

No. He wanted to sign Fitz to a Revis like deal where they could cut bait after one year.

Mac wanted Fitz for 24/ 3 years.  Where you been?