NY Jets 2015 Spotlight: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick brought to the NY Jets something fans haven’t seen in a long time. Better than average quarterback play and lots of touchdowns.

In fact, at times, it was much better than average. Fitzpatrick broke the Jets’ single season record for touchdown passes with 31, passing Vinny Testaverde‘s 29 set back in 1998. When you’re up there with Testaverde, you’ve made it as a quarterback, at least for a Jets’ fan.

With the tandem of Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall, who also set records as the team’s first wide receiving duo with 1,000 yards plus a piece, Fitzpatrick was offered the best opportunity of his career to perform above expectations. Fitzmagic answered the call, for the most part.

It wasn’t always supposed to be this way, Fitzpatrick wasn’t even the team’s starter when training camp doors opened. An infamous punch to the jaw sidelined expected starter Geno Smith for the first quarter of the season. Once Fitzpatrick got going, head coach Todd Bowles never looked back.

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A quick 2-0 start, including a big early season win over the Indianapolis Colts pretty much solidified Fitzpatrick as the Jets’ starting quarterback.

That was of course until some rumblings began about a possible switch once the team found itself at 5-5 in Week 10 following an impressive 3-1 opening quarter to the season. A Fitzpatrick thumb injury in the first quarter of Week 8 against the Oakland Raiders saw Smith’s only significant time on the field, and added fuel to the quarterback conundrum many saw the Jets to be in.

Then one of the most memorable five game stretches happened out of nowhere. Fitzpatrick, the entire offense, the defense, everything clicked in a remarkable run to keep the Jets in playoff contention. Fitzpatrick almost blew the lid off the NFL when he threw the game winning touchdown to Decker in overtime versus the New England Patriots in Week 16. All of a sudden Fitzpatrick and the Jets found themselves in a win and in position in the final game of the season at the Buffalo Bills.

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In the end, the Jets made every mistake in the book, and the season came crashing down as fast as it started. Typical Jets, right? If anything was gained from the most recent Jets campaign it’s this: Fitzpatrick is a viable quarterback for the immediate needs of the Jets and is in position to once again lead the team towards progress.