NY Jets: Fitzpatrick the Savior

The NY Jets have been on a roll lately, all thanks to the amazing play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Jets have had what many would call a curse on them ever since Joe Namath won the Jets first and only Super Bowl. Many say that he sold his soul to the devil to win the game and with that act put a curse on the Jets. That curse being that the Jets have not truly had a franchise quarterback in years. Every young upcoming quarterback the Jets get their hands on somehow either gets injured to the point where his talent dwindles or fizzles out on their own.

Two quarterbacks that has happened to with the Jets are Vinny Testaverde and Chad Pennington. Now come in Geno Smith who performed very well in college but can’t seem to wrap his head around NFL style of play due to constantly making mistakes. As the new regime stepped in after the firing of the now perpetually annoying coach Rex Ryan, many wondered what this team would do with the only real quarterback on the roster being Smith.

General manager Mike Maccaganan has shown us that he knows what he is doing. During the draft he took a young quarterback who looks like he has the tools to become a very good starter and traded a 7th round pick for journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick. One thing no fan thought when they heard that he would be the starter is “The Jets are 8-5 heading into Week 15 and are right now in the playoff picture.” The reason this team is even in this situation is largely due to that journeyman quarterback.

Fitzpatrick has shown many people who do not believe in Fitzmagic that he can play at a top level. He has swooped in and stole the spotlight. The reasoning for that is the heart he has as the game goes on. Game after game you can see it that he will do anything to give his team a win. Recently during the Jets versus Giants game, Gang Green were looking like they would fall to their hometown rivals 20-10.

However, the team and Fitzpatrick were not ready to give up. On one drive he brought the team all the way down the field even converting a 4th and 6 by himself. This lead to a field goal bringing the score to 20-13. On the Jets final drive he again began to lead this team down the field capping it off with a terrific pass to the Jets number one receiver and what seems like his best friend, Brandon Marshall.

This forced the game into overtime, at this point, no Jets fan could believe that this team was pulling it off. The reason for the awe at the fact that the game was tied was due to the fact that all this occurred during the late part of the 4th quarter. During the overtime drive the Jets marched down the field with Fitzpatrick hitting any wide receiver he could making four first downs like it was nothing.

The Jets settled for a field goal and waited. The Giants made their way down the field and settled to tie the game and force the Jets back on the field. Fitzpatrick walks over to Marshall ready to prepare what they are going to do when they hit the field but Marshall tells him via the Media Relations Department of the Jets: “no…you have not been to the playoffs, I have not been to the playoffs, the football gods are listening to us…he will miss this” and sure enough, the Giants kicker who the announcers stated “has never missed a field goal this season” missed.

Next: Jets get most complete win of the season

Fitzpatrick has been nothing but a positive to this team ever since he stepped through the doors. He has become a fan favorite and seemingly has won over the whole team as their leader. That however is not the only thing this man has done. The thing that is special about the Jets’ starting quarterback is that he does not have a large ego and will train players.

Rookie quarterback Bryce Petty has been the apprentice of Fitzpatrick even staying at his house a couple days and learning what he can from the veteran. That trade Maccagnan made giving away a 7th round pick for his guy seemingly has saved the Jets season and possibly has landed them in the playoffs.

Only a couple games left, can the Jets actually make it into the playoffs? Only time will tell. But so far, Fitzpatrick has been the Savior this team has been looking for to finally deliver instant results while also setting up a bright future for those around him studying his every move.