New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick breaks down his new role

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Aug 19, 2015

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is now the starting quarterback of the New York Jets and has embraced his new role well. He’s developing a better chemistry now with the first-team unit and getting into a better rhythm with his wide receiving corps.

Even though the Jets just signed quarterback Matt Flynn to a one-year deal, Fitzpatrick is still penciled in as a starter to hopefully do well to keep his job throughout the regular season. There is no guarantee he’ll have the starting job if the Jets are losing games and Geno Smith eventually is ready to come back and play.

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Everything considered though, Fitzpatrick should be able to maintain the starting job and use his veteran experience to push this team past the recent adversity and silence all critics by winning plenty of football games. Take a look at what Fitzpatrick thinks about his new role and how things have been so far during training camp, courtesy of the Media Relations Department of the Jets:

On how he thinks practice has gone the last few days…

It’s good. We’ve gotten a lot of good work. It’s been a little hotter outside. Today was a little more toned down, but they (practices) have been very intense in terms of going against the defense and doing some situational stuff. Today was more of a carded practice, just looking at different looks from the Falcons and trying to get better as an offense and just keep improving with all of that stuff.

On his relationship with Geno Smith now that he is the starter…

It’s fine. We’re both professionals.

On Smith’s mood…

I haven’t really talked to him that much.

On how being from Arizona has helped him deal with the heat…

It’s a lot different type of heat, but last year, going through training camp in Houston, this is a very nice, sunny day. Very pleasant. So, comparing it to last year, it is very nice out here and it hasn’t really affected me all that much.

On how much he would like to play in the next preseason game…

There’s a big-time balance between staying healthy and getting work. I think health certainly outweighs that. Being healthy for the season is a lot more important than going out there and lighting the world on fire in preseason. We just have to continue to, when we’re out there, take advantage of each rep, try to be effective, put some drives together and just try to come out of it clean.

On how much Chan Gailey has said the starting offense will play against the Falcons…

I’m not sure. I assume we’ll play a little bit more than just a series this time, but so much of it is probably dependent. I don’t know if there is a play count or a couple drives. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but for whatever it is we have to go out there and each play, whether it’s a run or a pass or a check, we have to go out there and execute the play and that’s kind of what we’re preaching this week.

May 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during organized team activities at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

On whether the emphasis at practice today was on the install…

Yes, I mean, it was more introducing their defense and how they play and also talking to our guys about particular routes and things that we will not only use for this week in preseason, but down the line during the season.

On whether it was a game plan type of practice…

Yeah, it was going up against their defense, and so, it’s not necessarily the normal bulk that we would have for a game plan. It’s a lot of again, vanilla-type plays and hoping that we can execute our vanilla plays.

On whether he as at the point where he feels like he’s been in this system for years now…

I feel good about it. It’s just, we have to get everybody up to speed and on the same page. That’s why these practices and the preseason games and all of that are so important. It’s just getting everybody on the same level. We just have to, each game and each practice continue to get better and continue to gain a better understanding of what we’re trying to do.

On how the chemistry with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker is coming along…

I think it’s good. They’re two guys that have played a lot of football they’re very quarterback friendly, that’s made the transition pretty easy for me.

On if he gained anything from working with Bill O’Brien last year…

Yes, I learned a lot. I don’t know if you saw Hard Knocks, but his personality came out a little bit. I think he’s going to be a great head coach. He taught me a lot about the way he thinks about offenses and how to attack a defense. That was a very valuable year for me in terms of just knowledge and overall, becoming a better quarterback and thinking through the process a little bit better.

On if he is shocked O’Brien is on Hard Knocks considering how secretive he is…

Yes, I don’t know how much of a choice they had there, but it’s a good team to do it. There’s a lot of characters on that team. It’s been entertaining. I watched the first one and I’ll definitely be tuning in for the next few.

On what he thinks of the development of the younger quarterbacks on the team…

For them, it’s a process, coming out every day and getting better, making mistakes then not making the same mistake the next day, going over things in meetings and being able to retain what we said in the meetings and do it on the field. There’s a lot of things that happen out here that aren’t going to be clean, that aren’t going to look right and they just have to continue to not make the same mistake twice.

Aug 13, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) warms up before the preseason NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

On if what he has endured over the last 11 years has helped him deal with the last week…

Yes, it has. My normal is craziness, moving around, jumping from team to team, having to get used to different guys in a short period of time. The craziness is normal for me, I guess.

On what is the best way to get know new guys in a short period of time…

In training camp, it’s easier because we spend so much time together in the building off the field, in meetings. But really for me, I enjoy the conversations at the lunch table or in the hallway, in the locker room. I think that’s the easiest way to get the chemistry going off the field and then go from there on the field. It makes it that much easier.

Next: New York Jets: Todd Bowles talks about progression

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