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Somewhere over North America on Southwest Airlines – Let me ask y’all a question? If a team was never thinking of making a change, does this become a story because reporters ask questions?
From what I see all over the internet, the Jets were mulling a change at quarterback, even though they never were.
I really don’t understand this sort of journalism.
Todd Bowles, Chan Gailey and Mike Maccagnan gave no thought to a change.
So just because sports writers ask a bunch of questions, does it become a legit angle, and then it becomes a possibility?
Could Ryan Fitzpatrick have thrown a more perfect deep pass to Devin Smith yesterday (should have been a touchdown)?
Did Brandon Marshall drop a deep pass? Yes.
Did the offensive line protect Fitzpatrick well? Not particularly.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear, that I think if you are going to list the Jets’ biggest problems, Fitzpatrick isn’t at the top of the list – the high-priced corners are.
Does Fitzpatrick need to play better? No question. But I can almost guarantee you the Jets wouldn’t be 5-5 starting their current backup quarterback.
I think when Fitzpatrick gets in trouble is when the Jets fall way behind, and they have to become pass happy, and he has to throw the ball over the lot.
That scenario got him in trouble in Buffalo, and in some games this year with the Jets.
HE NEEDS A RUNNING GAME.
And also better cornerback play would help. The play at cornerback has created some of these large deficits.
I have been covering the Jets for 20 years, and Fitzpatrick has provided some of the best quarterbacking I’ve seen around here in quite some time.
No doubt, the bar isn’t very high, but I respect the way the guy plays. He’s far from perfect, but he’s very smart and has a lot of moxy. The way he sacrificed himself diving in for that touchdown, that stuff wins a lot of hearts and minds in the locker room.
Those two picks at the end of the game were costly, but so was the deep touchdown given up by Darrelle Revis, and those two aforementioned drops.
And so was the politically-driven decision by Todd and Mike to deactivate Kenbrell Thompkins instead of Devin Smith. One problem with Smith, due to his lack of ideal strength, he doesn’t win any balls in traffic.
There was a fourth question today from the press regarding a narrative they made up.
Q)What gives him the faith to stick with Fitzpatrick moving forward?
Bowles: I don’t think a lot of throws are Ryan’s fault. When you have a quarterback, you have to look at the overall scheme, not just the quarterback and as far as things are getting done, and a lot of times we just need to get on the same page. I think Ryan made some good throws. I thought he made some bad ones as well. But you don’t give up on a quarterback just like that, because overall what he’s done this year, he still proved he can do that going forward.
And moving forward, maybe people around here can report news and not create it.
11/23/2015
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