How has Ryan Fitzpatrick looked through 1 week as Jets' starting quarterback?
1 / 10
(AP Photo | Julio Cortez)
Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Print Email Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on August 18, 2015 at 8:00 AM, updated August 18, 2015 at 8:31 AM
FLORHAM PARK — A week ago Tuesday morning, a Jets linebacker named IK Enemkpali — you might have heard of him by now — slammed his fist into the face of quarterback Geno Smith.
The punch broke Smith's jaw, knocking him out for two to five games (or more), and sending a reverberating questions throughout the Jets organization.
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How will Smith's teammates view him when he returns to the locker room, since he was not completely innocent for his role in the altercation? What does this incident, and Smith's absence, mean for his future with the Jets?
For the Jets' coaches, those are less-pressing questions than this one: Can they win, early in the season, with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback?
In the end, that's all that matters. Sure, it helps if a quarterback's teammates respect and like him. (And we've been over this whole thing time and again with Smith.) But whether players think the quarterback is a dope or a prince, they care a heck of a lot more about him playing well, and helping them win.
So can Fitzpatrick help the Jets win?
A week into his tenure as the Jets' starter, that remains very much unclear. Yes, he knows offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's scheme, from their three seasons together with the Bills. But can Fitzpatrick make all the throws he needs to?
Before Smith got hurt, he looked all right during camp. Fitzpatrick hadn't performed quite as well, but wasn't terrible. Neither player looked superb.
Since the punch, Fitzpatrick had Tuesday's practice, Wednesday's walk-through, one series in Thursday's preseason opener at Detroit, Saturday's practice, and Sunday's practice. So he's really had just two full practices as the starter, since on Tuesday, everyone was still processing what happened to Smith.
Fitzpatrick likely will play more Friday night against the Falcons, said coach Todd Bowles. This week, he get a couple more practices, Tuesday and Wednesday, to prepare for that second dress rehearsal.
So how did Fitzpatrick look this past weekend? We examined his Saturday practice here. Now let's go in-depth with his Sunday practice, as he prepares to return to the field Tuesday, following Monday's off day.
The stats: 12-for-19
Overall stats: 94-for-153, three interceptions
Analysis: Let's start with the negative, and it actually came on a touchdown pass, on practice's final play. Eric Decker was wide open near the goal line, but Fitzpatrick's pass was low. Decker had to reach down to grab it — another indictment of Fitzpatrick's lack of zip on passes. Decker managed to turn and barely get into the end zone before a defender arrived. But it shouldn't have been this hard. Fitzpatrick needs to be on the mark with that throw. Fitzpatrick had previously overthrown Decker, on a long ball. Fitzpatrick was also victimized by rare Brandon Marshall drop. But Fitzpatrick did try to force, on his very next pass, a dangerous throw to Marshall that Darrelle Revis broke up. Fitzpatrick recovered from that misstep and, at one point, completed eight straight passes in Sunday's practice, including sideline throws to Decker and Quincy Enunwa. Those sideline throws have been an issue for Fitzpatrick in this camp.
Grade: B-
Darryl Slater may be reached at
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