Ryan Fitzpatrick looked incompetent to say the very least. He threw a pass off of a lineman’s helmet, he threw two goal-to-go interceptions and has a weird infatuation with throwing it to unknown and unproven rookie Jalin Marshall in clutch situations. Not to mention the Chiefs dropped 2 interceptions on the Jets 3rd to last drive before Daniel Sorensen finally came down with one. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw SIX interceptions including three in less than three minutes of game time in the 4th quarter. I’ve never seen worse quarterback play and I had to watch Brooks Bollinger for a season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick did so poorly that his quarterback rating went up after his 6th interception, probably because he was able to throw the ball over 30 yards.
He did throw a beautiful touchdown pass, however. Oh wait:
The quality of that video is a metaphor for the quality of that pass so I do not apologize.
Ryan Fitzpatrick underthrew a wide open Robby Anderson which resulted in a 26 yard diving catch instead of an easy 38 yard touchdown to make the game 17-7. I noticed last week against the Bills that Fitz was trying to throw it deep to Brandon Marshall, but instead was under throwing him and making it a jump ball. I wasn’t sure if it was their attempt at a Aaron Rodgers-Jordy Nelson back shoulder play or what, but now I think it’s painfully obvious that Ryan Fitzpatrick cannot physically throw the ball deep enough to be effective.
Which leads me to my warranted overreaction…….. Bench Ryan Fitzpatrick. Cut your $12 million dollar loss and play your guys that could possibly be your long term answer. The Jets have 3 able bodied quarterbacks with strong arms that can make any throw Ryan Fitzpatrick makes (and more). What the three other quarterbacks lack is experience. Instead of facing this same problem next year when Fitz is out the door, the Jets should give Geno Smith or Bryce Petty the keys to the car. My personal preference would be to see what Bryce Petty has to offer, as both Fitz and Geno’s contracts are set to expire this coming offseason. Bryce Petty ran a pass heavy spread offense at Baylor and has arguably the strongest arm out of all 4 QB’s (Hackenberg, maybe). The kid can sling the rock, and he can move on his feet as well. One thing I always credit Fitzpatrick for is how hard he runs and how he’ll take a hit for a couple extra yards. But wait, Petty does that too:
Underthrowing a deep ball? Petty has never heard of it:
Now, the Jets have a home game against the Seattle Seahawks next week. The Seahawks are 2-1 but may have lost QB Russell Wilson for the game with a possible MCL sprain. Wilson’s absence makes this game more winnable for the Jets, but the main problem for them will be the Seahawks’ secondary. Throwing Bryce Petty into the fire against a secondary that consists of Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas III is probably not the best confidence booster for a young QB, but I think that if Ryan Fitzpatrick shows even the slightest sign of repeating this week’s performance, he has to get the axe.
TL;DR – Start Fitzpatrick against the scary Seahawks secondary but keep him on a short leash, and have Bryce Petty ready to roll on deck. However, if the Jets announced Petty was starting at QB Week 4 I’d accept him with arms wide open.
The Chiefs couldn’t move the ball besides a couple good plays by Travis Kelce. All 24 points that the Chiefs scored came off of New York Jet turnovers. The difference in the game obviously was the turnover battle. You can’t turn the ball over eight times and expect to win or even compete in the game. Except the Jets DID. The Jets were down by 14 and had the ball at the Chief 6 and 5 yard lines on consecutive possessions, only to have Fitzpatrick throw the ball into double and triple coverage and throw tip drill interceptions both times. The silver lining from this game is that even with atrocious quarterback play and ball security, the Jets could’ve actually squeaked out a victory against a good AFC playoff team.
On to the awards:
THE GOAT:
Quincy Enunwa: (4-37-0 receiving, 54 yard kick return)
Not a very impressive stat line, but nobody’s stat line was very impressive. However, you could tell just by watching the game that Quincy Enunwa was locked in while the majority of the team was checked out. He made a great catch in traffic in the 1st quarter, and he converted a key early 4th down conversion. On the Derrick Johnson pick-six, Enunwa and rookie Robby Anderson were the only two actually chasing him down the field. At 6’2″ 225lbs, he then returned a kick 54 yards in an attempt to revitalize the team. After Jalin Marshall’s inexcusable fumble, I look forward to seeing Enunwa return more kicks and seeing the ball in his hands as much as possible.
Honorable GOATS:
Rookie LBs Darron Lee (6 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss) and Jordan Jenkins (5 tackles)
3rd round pick Jordan Jenkins made his NFL debut, so for the first time we saw him and 1st round pick Darron Lee in together, giving the Jets a good glimpse of the future. The Jets historically have had older linebackers running the show, so it was encouraging to see their two young picks working together to hold the Chiefs offense to under 300 yards. Darron Lee recorded his first career (half) sack and showcased his phenomenal closing speed on a couple screens and outside runs. Jenkins finished numerous tackles that could’ve ended up as long gains.
Robby Anderson: (2-34-0)
Another pedestrian stat line but preseason favorite Robby Anderson caught both passes thrown to him today, the first two of his career. He was wide open for his first catch that should’ve went for 6, but instead he was underthrown and he adjusted well to make the 26 yard reception. Maybe Robby will be this year’s Quincy Enunwa or perhaps his preseason excellence will bring him to stardom a la Victor Cruz. You don’t know ’til you know, ya know?
The WOAT:
Ryan Fitzpatrick: (The worst showing of athleticism in a professional sporting event ever)
I’m not getting into it again. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was pulling a Paul Crewe out there shaving some points it was that bad.
Dishonorable WOATs:
Jalin Marshall: (2-19-0, 3 kick returns for 82 yards, 1 lost fumble, 1 punt return for 12 yards)
Jalin “The Other” Marshall lost his 2nd fumble in as many weeks, this week resulting in a scoop and score that gave the Chiefs momentum that they never gave back. It was a funky play but ball security is the #1 priority for a kick returner. Marshall, being an UDFA in his rookie year, may not see the field for a couple weeks now, especially after blowing his second chance this week. One interesting tidbit: Jalin Marshall only returned 3 kickoffs in 2 years at Ohio State, is he really the most viable option at KR for the Jets?
Calvin Pryor: (3 tackles)
2014 1st round pick Calvin Pryor really came into his own and made a name for himself in his sophomore season. However, one issue he has always had is his inability to cover the big bad TE’s of the NFL. With 2 meetings against Rob Gronkowski a year, its an issue that really needs some resolving. Darrelle Revis and company held Jeremy Maclin and Chris Conley to sub-50 yard games, but Pryor allowed Chief TE Travis Kelce to go 6-89-1 on 7 targets. Kelce is a class below Rob Gronkowski, so Calvin Pryor and the Jets have to figure something out before their week 11 showdown with New England. Calvin knows it, too.
Bonus Power Rankings:
QB’s I’d prefer over Ryan Fitzpatrick:
5. Johnny Moxon: No stranger to stepping into the starter role after the season starts, ‘Mox’ has the arm strength and winning mentality to take a team to the top. Also, if he ran the hook and latter with Nick Mangold that would be spectacular.
4. Matt Saracen: Another plug and play guy that came into the QB1 position in the middle of the season. While he won’t light up the stats he’s a proven winner who likes to dump it down to Tim Riggins (Matt Forte) and is sneaky athletic. Just keep him away from coach’s daughter.
3. Willie Beamen: A young, dual-threat QB that literally leaves his guts on the field. Minor character concerns off the field but would flourish with the Jets weapons.
2. Ronnie Bass: Lefty ‘Sunshine’ Bass came into T.C. Williams as a transfer and helped lead a divided and segregated team to a state championship. Not only is he an extraordinary talent (and he learned the read option), he is a great locker room guy and potential team captain.
1.Vince Howard: Essentially ran a two man show with Luke Cafferty, and they defied all odds and upset their crosstown rivals, the West Dillon Panthers, in their final game of the season. Vince continued to defy odds and won the state championship in East Dillon’s 2nd year of existence. He’s a playmaker and a leader, and his continued success against his rivals would be good news for beating those pesky New England Patriots.
The Best Damn Sports Blog Question Mark 