Ryan Fitzpatrick's first bout of significant playing time for the New York Jets could have gone much better. With Geno Smith officially out for the foreseeable future, Fitzpatrick is now the man in charge with Bryce Petty and Matt Flynn come in as his backups. Hype was high around Fitzpatrick when he officially was named the starter for the Jets, but his debut is now drawing a lot of doubt in his ability to succeed.
Fitzpatrick finished the day going 13-or-19 for 118 yards. He was also sacked once for nine yards. The offense was relatively unexciting as Fitzpatrick and the Jets' offensive line struggled with the pass rush of the first-team defense from the Atlanta Falcons. While the Jets are downplaying the lack of power from Fitzpatrick, head coach Todd Bowles stands by the quarterback, for the time being.
"He was steady," coach Todd Bowles said, via the New York Post. "I thought they knocked a lot of balls down. I've got to see the film to see if that was quarterback-related or offensive-line related. But he was poised. He knew where to go with the football. He did a good job."
Both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have voiced their support for the veteran quarterback. It was Petty that managed to step in and get the win for the Jets in the long run. While positive reinforcement continues to come in for Fitzpatrick, how long will it last? The Jets do not have a strong quarterback rotation at the moment. Petty is not ready and Flynn is not healthy. If New York were to explore other options, there are decent players available in trades.
According to ESPN's Dianna Marie Russini, the Philadelphia Eagles are pushing Matt Barkley in a trade. The current third-string quarterback has looked solid at the moment in the preseason and Russini reports the Eagles continue to give him a lot of playing time in order to showcase him for a trade deal. Barkley might not be the better option over Fitzpatrick, but he is playing better at the moment. Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy could become available for the Jets depending on whether or not the Washington Redskins intend to enter the year with three quarterback options.
For now, the playmakers of the Jets will have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Marshall, Decker and the running back tandem of Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell will be critical while Devin Smith and Jeremy Kerley battle to start as well.
"We're not going to be perfect," said Marshall, via the Post. "We know that, we understand it, but those are learning lessons. We have a bunch of smart guys on the offensive side that will be able to learn from [this] and get better. Some people aren't capable of getting better, but I think we are."
