Let’s face it, the season’s over. Sitting at 3-6, the Jets would pretty much have to win out in order to find themselves in a wildcard spot. The chances of that happening are bleak considering they barely squeezed past a winless Cleveland Browns. Don’t get me wrong, it sucks. But now we have an opportunity to build toward the future. An opportunity to decide who should be left in 2016 and who is part of the long-term solution. One person who isn’t part of the long-term solution? Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Last season, the quarterback formerly known as Fitzmagic ignited a fan base that hadn’t seen playoff football since 2010. The Harvard alum threw for a Jets’ record 31 touchdowns and had just 15 interceptions, while leading the team to a 10-6 season. His gritty play style, long beard, and weird post game interviews mesmerized Jets’ fans. But the writing was on the wall, we just didn’t want to read it.
Fitzpatrick only threw 15 interceptions, but according to Pro Football Focus that number should have been much higher. His decision making on the field was extremely questionable and many times he got away with it. And don’t think the pain of a Week 17 loss to the hands of Rex Ryan has gone away. In a win and get in scenario, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 181 yards and 3 interceptions on a 43% completion percentage. When we needed him most, Fitzmagic was nowhere to be found.
Fast forward a contract hold out, 8 games, and 13 interceptions and it has become evident that Fitzpatrick is not the quarterback for the future. But we should have known this; after all, there is a reason why Fitzpatrick has been a journeyman throughout his NFL career. Six teams in twelve years. Sure, he’s had some good years sprinkled in there, but if your a good quarterback teams want you to stick around. Why did we think at 33 years old, Fitzpatrick had finally put it all together?
What happens if Fitzy plays halfway decent for the rest of the year and picks up a couple wins along the way? Absolutely nothing. Jets still don’t make playoffs and still have a quarterback problem. As I said earlier, it’s time for the Jets to focus on the future. A future that doesn’t include Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm.
Granted he played in a great system, Bryce Petty was a fantastic college quarterback. He was a bit raw coming into the NFL, but there’s no doubt that the talent is there. He’s got a Ben Roethlisberger-type frame with a lively arm and great mobility. The improvements he made throughout this preseason were very promising. But now it’s time to stop speculating about what Petty could be and see what he is right now.
Todd Bowles, I’m begging you. Let Bryce Petty start. The sooner we realize that Ryan Fitzpatrick is a thing of the past, the sooner we can evaluate our young talent and move forward. Doesn’t the organization want to evaluate Petty before the 2017 NFL draft? That way the they can decide whether to draft a quarterback for the third straight year. I’m not saying Petty will be our franchise QB, but we’ll never know if we don’t play him!
As I’m writing this, Fitzpatrick is listed as a game time decision for Sunday’s matchup against the Rams. If he does play- unless he absolutely lights it up- Petty should be the starting quarterback coming out of the Jets’ bye week.
