Shea Huening-Flickr
Let me start off by apologizing to those who used my Sunday and Monday couch predictions. I feel embarrassed to only get five right. I have since put the chair back in the kitchen and untied the rope from the ceiling fan especially after my Baltimore Ravens loss to the Oakland Raiders Sunday. Well the 24-hour rule was in effect and with that said it’s time to refocus. Tune in next week and I promise to do you right. Now back to the lecture at hand.
I’m sure most of the football world is gawking over Johnny Manziel and his most recent win or going nutts over the Tony Romo injury.
However it’s Monday night and time to hum the song or at least it was as the New York Jets convincingly beat the Indianapolis Colts. The QB I would like to talk about this week is none other than Ryan Fitzpatrick. I believe the Jets have found a their starter for the next few years.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has always been one of my favorite backups. He proved himself in Cincinnati back in 2008 when Carson Palmer went down by coming in and throwing 1905-yards and 8-TDs over a 12 game span.
Ok so the numbers aren’t that impressive, but he flashed enough talent in those throws to get another shot in Buffalo. He was given another partial season in Buffalo, which eventually led to two years starting for the Bills. As their lead signal caller, he put up 48 TDs in the 2 full seasons as their starter, however he had 39 interceptions during that time as well.
The now Jet had ups and downs there and moved down to Tennessee before going down to Houston. Fitzpatrick just wasn’t the right fit with the Texans. I am glad he didn’t stay in Houston long due to the QB carousel currently going on down there. Now with Geno Smith out healing from a broken jaw, Fitzpatrick now has a very comfortable situation that is set up for his success.
Having one of the most dangerous runners in the league in Chris Ivory in his backfield partnered with not one but two towering targets in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, the Jets start off the season 2-0. The scary defense of the Jets may have something to do with his success as well. Darrelle Revis and company did cause 5 turnovers putting Andrew Luck and the Colts in quite the calamitous situation.
Jets’ Head Coach Todd Bowles said “as long as we’re 3-1 and not 0-4 going into the season, I am comfortable with going with Ryan Fitzpatrick going forward.”
Fitzpatrick completed nearly 70 percent of his passes on the day going 22 for 34 for 2 TDs and one INT.
The Harvard graduate is such a humble guy as noted in his post game responses allude to. He said:
“We gotta continue to be more efficient in the short game and have to convert more on third down.”
Additionally when referring to Marshall and Decker he said “those guys make it easy on me”.
Fitzpatrick knows even in the teams win, there is more work to do. He reminds me of a poor mans’ Brett Favre because of the fearless gun-slinging ability. Not to mention he has about as many picks as he does interceptions. Look for the Jets to continue to thrive this season as he shows the world on the one of the NFL’s most prestigious stages in the New York.
Jermaine Lockett is a Writer and CEO for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Facebook or twitter.