Post by Guvmintcheeze on Sept 10, 2015 6:50:06 GMT
Todd Bowles: Ryan Fitzpatrick 'is in a good place' entering opener
Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- Todd Bowles might have entered his first training camp with a different starting quarterback.
But as the new New York Jets head coach heads into the season, Bowles seems to be pretty comfortable with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starter and where he is at this point in his 11-year career.
“Personally, I think he is in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career,” Bowles said. “I think he is comfortable with who he is and he understands offense and what is around him and he is going to take what you give to him.
“Maybe early on in his career, he was trying to force some balls in,” Bowles added. “He’s in a good place. He understands the offense pretty well and he’s gelling with everybody.”
It’s been quite the journey this season even for the quintessential journeyman that Fitzpatrick is. The Jets are Fitzpatrick’s fourth different team in as many years.
He started 2015 off recovering from a broken left leg suffered last December, which made it difficult at times for him just to walk. He had a steel rod surgically-inserted into his lower leg. During his recovery, the quarterback was dealt to the Jets in March to backup Geno Smith.
Months later, Smith had his jaw broken in a locker room altercation early in camp and Fitzpatrick was suddenly the new starting quarterback.
At 32, Fitzpatrick cherishes this latest opportunity to run a team, perhaps more than ever. As a seventh-round pick out of Harvard in 2005, Fitzpatrick has long beaten the odds. He’s fought the labels of being a quarterback with limited arm strength and ability.
Now he’s coming back from a broken leg in the latter part of his career. Fitzpatrick knows that many feel his play will be the key to the Jets’ success this season, as the Jets are equipped with a stellar defense.
He won't put up gaudy numbers like Aaron Rodgers or other elite quarterbacks. But Fitzpatrick doesn't necessarily have to. He just has to limit his mistakes and lead the offense to enough points while hoping the defense takes care of its business.
“I want to be great for who I am and for what type of quarterback I am,” Fitzpatrick said. “... Great for me is going to be different than great for somebody else.”
As for the idea that he might not take as many chances scrambling as he has in the past due to his leg injury, Fitzpatrick hopes that defenses and critics will think as much.
“I don’t think so,” said Fitzpatrick, whose mobility has been overlooked at times. “I have a particular style of play. Hopefully (the leg injury) makes me even more underrated (as a scrambler).”
At this stage of his career, Fitzpatrick is fine-tuned to his strengths and weaknesses and wants to make sure he’s in the best possible situation each week to win.
It helps that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey knows Fitzpatrick as well as anybody, having coached the quarterback as head coach of the Bills from 2010-12.
“I think what [Bowles] is saying is understanding who I am as a quarterback, what things I am good at, what things I’m not and really catering at the things I really excel at,” Fitzpatrick said. “And eliminating some of the bad plays, whether it is a bad throw or bad decision, eliminating that before we get to the game on Sunday.”
“So I got my decisions set out,” Fitzpatrick added. “Just the way I am thinking about the game may be a little different now than it was five years ago.”
With the Jets facing a dangerous Browns’ secondary that features cornerback Joe Haden, safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Tramon Williams, Fitzpatrick will have to be precise with his decision-making.
Bowles hopes that Fitzpatrick being in a “good place” will be very good for the Jets.
“I want to be as good as I know I can be and continue to improve each week,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think I have continued to improve each year as my career has gone on so continue that uptrend.”
Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. –- Todd Bowles might have entered his first training camp with a different starting quarterback.
But as the new New York Jets head coach heads into the season, Bowles seems to be pretty comfortable with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starter and where he is at this point in his 11-year career.
“Personally, I think he is in a good place as a quarterback at this stage of his career,” Bowles said. “I think he is comfortable with who he is and he understands offense and what is around him and he is going to take what you give to him.
“Maybe early on in his career, he was trying to force some balls in,” Bowles added. “He’s in a good place. He understands the offense pretty well and he’s gelling with everybody.”
It’s been quite the journey this season even for the quintessential journeyman that Fitzpatrick is. The Jets are Fitzpatrick’s fourth different team in as many years.
He started 2015 off recovering from a broken left leg suffered last December, which made it difficult at times for him just to walk. He had a steel rod surgically-inserted into his lower leg. During his recovery, the quarterback was dealt to the Jets in March to backup Geno Smith.
Months later, Smith had his jaw broken in a locker room altercation early in camp and Fitzpatrick was suddenly the new starting quarterback.
At 32, Fitzpatrick cherishes this latest opportunity to run a team, perhaps more than ever. As a seventh-round pick out of Harvard in 2005, Fitzpatrick has long beaten the odds. He’s fought the labels of being a quarterback with limited arm strength and ability.
Now he’s coming back from a broken leg in the latter part of his career. Fitzpatrick knows that many feel his play will be the key to the Jets’ success this season, as the Jets are equipped with a stellar defense.
He won't put up gaudy numbers like Aaron Rodgers or other elite quarterbacks. But Fitzpatrick doesn't necessarily have to. He just has to limit his mistakes and lead the offense to enough points while hoping the defense takes care of its business.
“I want to be great for who I am and for what type of quarterback I am,” Fitzpatrick said. “... Great for me is going to be different than great for somebody else.”
As for the idea that he might not take as many chances scrambling as he has in the past due to his leg injury, Fitzpatrick hopes that defenses and critics will think as much.
“I don’t think so,” said Fitzpatrick, whose mobility has been overlooked at times. “I have a particular style of play. Hopefully (the leg injury) makes me even more underrated (as a scrambler).”
At this stage of his career, Fitzpatrick is fine-tuned to his strengths and weaknesses and wants to make sure he’s in the best possible situation each week to win.
It helps that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey knows Fitzpatrick as well as anybody, having coached the quarterback as head coach of the Bills from 2010-12.
“I think what [Bowles] is saying is understanding who I am as a quarterback, what things I am good at, what things I’m not and really catering at the things I really excel at,” Fitzpatrick said. “And eliminating some of the bad plays, whether it is a bad throw or bad decision, eliminating that before we get to the game on Sunday.”
“So I got my decisions set out,” Fitzpatrick added. “Just the way I am thinking about the game may be a little different now than it was five years ago.”
With the Jets facing a dangerous Browns’ secondary that features cornerback Joe Haden, safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Tramon Williams, Fitzpatrick will have to be precise with his decision-making.
Bowles hopes that Fitzpatrick being in a “good place” will be very good for the Jets.
“I want to be as good as I know I can be and continue to improve each week,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think I have continued to improve each year as my career has gone on so continue that uptrend.”