NY Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick and his amazing season

The NY Jets have had a memorable season thanks to Ryan Fitzpatrick and everything he’s brought to the table in 2015.

Over the summer, the NY Jets named Geno Smith their starting quarterback.  There was only going to be a battle for the backup spot.  Then IK Enemkpali punched Smith over a $600 debt and the landscape of the entire season changed.

Frankly, Ryan Fitzpatrick had shown he wasn’t a capable NFL starting quarterback up to that point.  He had a 33-55-1 record as a starter.  While he was putting up the sub-par win-loss record, he also compiled more turnovers than touchdowns.  He had 123 touchdowns and 126 turnovers (102 interceptions, 24 fumbles).

I was very skeptical about him and his ability to get the job done, especially based on those numbers.  His best record as a starter was 6-6, last season in Houston with the Texans.

Fitzpatrick is not only having the best season of his career, but it could be argued that he’s having the best season of any Jets quarterback ever.  He’s one win away from becoming the seventh quarterback in franchise history to win ten games in a season.  The others were Vinny Testaverde, Richard Todd, Joe Namath (twice), Ken O’Brien, Mark Sanchez and Chad Pennington.

He is also the tenth quarterback in franchise history to throw for 3,000 yards, joining Testaverde (2), Todd (3), Namath (3), Smith, Pennington (2), Boomer Esiason, Mark Sanchez and Brett Favre.  In addition to that, he could join Todd (1981), O’Brien (1985), Testaverde (1998) and Pennington (2002) as 3,000-yard passers, 20+ touchdowns and TD% (TD/ATT) of 5.0%+ and INT% (INT/ATT) of 3.0% or less.

Only Todd and Testaverde also completed 60%+ of their passes in that same season.  He’s also four away from becoming the first Jets quarterback to pass for 30 touchdowns in one season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Stats

More jets: A year-end letter from a Jets fan to all others

To say this season was unexpected is definitely an understatement.  However, if the Jets can make the postseason, and make a run at the Lombardi trophy, it would definitely qualify as the best season ever.