If you are a Jet fan who still has a bad taste in your mouth from the Week 17 match up last year; the first week this year didn’t take away that taste, did it? Going into Week 17 of last year the Jets offense was on a tear which left you little doubt that they could lose to a team like the Bills coming into that game at 7-8. But in the game that really mattered most, Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of his worst games of the season, going 16-37, 181 yards with a completion percentage of 43% and 3 interceptions. That performance put a dagger in the Jets playoff hopes as we fans all know. Now, that game wasn’t all on Fitzpatrick. The performance as a team was dismal but Fitzpatrick didn’t rise to the occasion.
Fast forward to this season, after a long hold out all offseason Fitzpatrick essentially put a lot of pressure on himself to replicate or even improve from last season. Both parties came to an agreement this offseason with Fitzpatrick signing a 1 year 12-million-dollar deal. With added weapons in forte and another year with an elite duo at wide receiver, Decker and Marshall, Fitzpatrick should be destined to get better right? It didn’t seem as if that was the way it went against the Bengals this past Sunday. His stat line looked like this, he was 19-35, with 189 yards and a completion percentage of 54%. He threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He could have thrown more touchdowns considering how many times he missed targets in the red zone. In the first half, Fitzpatrick looked decent. He missed a couple throws but finished at the half 12/21 111 yards and two touchdowns. I thought to myself he might settle down second half; first half might have helped him knock the rust off from missing the majority of the offseason. In the second half, it was just as worse. Going 7/16 76 yards and an interception. AfterSunday, Fitzpatrick finished in the bottom 2 for completion percentage and for yards on attempt. That is no stat line for a starting quarterback who is on a win now team and just held out all offseason for a contract.
This Thursday is a must win against the Buffalo Bills team that looked horrendous week 1. He will be facing a Rex Ryan coached defense that has absolutely dominated Fitzpatrick throughout his career. Fitzpatrick’s record playing a Rex Ryan coached defense is a dismal 1-8. It’s time for him to step up and get Rex Ryan off his back and win this game in Buffalo to get this season rolling. If he goes into this game and has another performance like Week 17 and that of last week, we could be in for a long season. After one week, is it time to panic about Fitzpatrick? No, I wouldn’t just yet but if he lays a dud this Thursday night in Buffalo on prime time, I definitely think we shall be in for a long season Jet fans.