Ryan Fitzpatrick played just one series for the New York Jets in the team's preseason opener, but he showed enough good things to allow attention to finally be diverted from the drama that Geno Smith's broken jaw has provided.
The Jets can forget about Geno Smith as long as Ryan Fitzpatrick performs
Geno Smith’s broken jaw has been the source of drama for the Jets this week, but the team is ready to focus on Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the offense.
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Fitzpatrick led the team on a 10-play, 41-yard drive that ended with a successful 34-yard field goal from Nick Folk. Those were the only three points of the game for the Jets and, as the team’s Twitter account put it, the offensive communication during Fitzpatrick’s drive was smooth. It was one of the only positives to take away from the 23-3 loss.
The smooth communication was enough that the Jets could focus on a regular season with Fitzpatrick at the helm after spending two days talking about the altercation that unfolded in the locker room between IK Enemkpali and Smith. An altercation that Jets head coach Todd Bowles called "childish" ended with a broken jaw for Smith and Enemkpali was sent to waivers shortly thereafter.
Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall is already ready to stop talking about the incident and prepare for an offense led by Fitzpatrick, and he told ESPN's Rich Cimini on Thursday night that the rest of the team agrees:
“I’m just moving forward. I think the whole team is moving forward. I think you’ll hear that echoed throughout this locker room. It’s time for us to move forward and play ball.”
Smith’s role in the Jets offense after he has recovered from his jaw injury is anyone’s guess at this point, but it’s likely dependent on Fitzpatrick’s performance. Injuries happen all the time in the NFL, and the “next man up” philosophy of the league can mean an opportunity for one player could be the end of the road for another.
Tom Brady got his shot with the New England Patriots after Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury in the third week of the 2001 season, just six months after Bledsoe received a record contract from the team. The same happened to Alex Smith when he was injured in 2012 and replaced by Colin Kaepernick. Smith never started another game for the San Francisco 49ers and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason.
Brady and Kaepernick both waited for their first opportunity to play and never looked back when it came. Geno Smith’s injury provided Fitzpatrick with an opportunity, but it’s far from his first. The 32-year-old passer has a 33-55-1 career record as a starter, but has played his best football in recent years. Though it’s hard to imagine Fitzpatrick suddenly developing into one of the NFL’s elite, he may be good enough to keep Smith on the bench for the foreseeable future.
Fitzpatrick finished 2-of-3 passing on Thursday for just 16 yards, so there’s still plenty left to learn about his ability to lead the Jets offense to points and not just “smooth” offensive communication. But with Geno out of sight, he’s also out of the Jets’ minds, for now.
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