Bowles: Players Gravitate To Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick is having one of the best years of his career, he's having one of the best years ever by a Jets QB, but the work isn't done. How we value and remember his 2015 season will be dictated by his performance over the next three games. People have said that he wilts down the stretch, we haven't seen any evidence of that, in fact...he's coming off the best 3 game span of the season.

Bowles commented before the game against Tennessee that he'd like to see Ryan Fitzpatrick back with the Jets next season, which isn't surprising at all. Fitzpatrick has shown that you can win with him in 2015, and if you continue to build around him, there is no reason to suggest he can't continue to perform at the current level.

Fitzpatrick is a veteran in this league and as a result he carries himself in the right manner, and if you've seen the Jets this year, you'll know that this is a united team, all pulling in the same direction, all with the same team goals in mind. There are many leaders on this team, from Mangold to Revis, Harris to Marshall, but Fitzpatrick is right there:

He’s really intelligent. Ryan can make you feel at home and he’s a funny guy, obviously. He has his own humor, but he can make you feel like you want to play hard for him. He just has that persona and that personality around the team that everybody gravitates towards.

Obviously having his old head coach in the building when he arrived didn't hurt. Chan Gailey has historically been able to get the best out of Fitzpatrick, his tenure in Buffalo netted Fitzpatrick a multi-million $$ deal. It looks as though his work with Ryan will net him a little stability this year, with the Jets likely looking to bring him back on a two year deal. That's pure speculation on my part, but with Bowles saying he wants him, Fitzpatrick having success and there being no immediate replacement, a 2 year deal makes sense. Bowles commented that the contract situation would be handled after the season has finished.

Is Fitzpatricks' performance surprising to Bowles?

I don't think so. Like I said, guys find homes at different places at different times in their career. It's his time.

it's good to have a quarterback that players gravitate towards. Chemistry in team sports is everything, working together is everything, a unified goal is everything. The Jets may not have the most talented team in the NFL, but if there is a team with a collection of individuals who play harder for each other in the NFL, I haven't seen them yet.

Fitzpatrick can reward the Jets faith with a trip to the play-offs. The Jets can reward Fitzpatrick with a new contract, and Brandon Marshall can stop Christmas shopping right now:

"I got him this book for Christmas," Marshall, the Jets' leading receiver, said before grabbing a copy of former New York receiver Keyshawn Johnson's autobiography, "Just Give Me The Damn Ball!"

"Probably could have 100 catches right now."