Ryan Fitzpatrick Having Successful Season as Jets Signal Caller
This Thursday the Buffalo Bills play the New York Jets on NFL Thursday Night Football in an AFC East showdown between two teams trying to remain relevant in the AFC playoff picture.
Ryan Fitzpatrick will once again be the signal caller for the Jets as he faces one of his former teams. Fitzpatrick has led the Jets to a record of 5-3 after taking over for the injured Geno Smith during preseason.
Fitzpatrick’s career has been solid since he arrived via Harvard. He was raised in Arizona, attended Boston’s Harvard University and has done some bouncing around in the league playing for six teams in his 11 seasons.
Fitzpatrick is just two touchdown passes shy of becoming the most prolific former passer in the Ivy League in the NFL. Sid Luckman holds that current record. Luckman tossed 137 touchdowns during his illustrious career.
Fitzpatrick’s touchdowns have been thrown to 40 different NFL players that include the likes of J.J. Watt, Isaac Bruce and Terrell Owens. The player with the most is former Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson who caught 23.
Fitzpatrick graduated from Harvard with an economics degree in 2005. He has earned over $39 million during his career even though he was not drafted until the 7th round in 2006 or the 250th overall player selected in that draft.
Fitzpatrick has had his finger in the news of late. He has a torn ligament in his left thumb, which luckily is his non-throwing hand.
The Jets quarterback will start on Thursday and could have surgery on Friday on his finger yet be ready to play in the Jets next game wearing a small brace to protect his thumb.
Fitzpatrick might not have the talent that Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady possesses but he is one of the smartest players in the NFL. Prior to being drafted, he scored a 48 out of a possible 50 on his Wonderlic intelligence test. That is reportedly the best score a quarterback has ever recorded.
He hopes that intelligence will help him read the Buffalo defense Thursday and help the Jets keep pace with the rest of the teams fighting for a playoff berth as the second half of the 2015 NFL season starts.
The Jets are currently favored at home Thursday by 2.5 points over the Bills. The point total is set at 42.5 points. Fitzpatrick should be able to dissect the Bills defense, but the Jets defense could have trouble with the Bills offense, which ran all over Miami in Week 9.
