Well, how’s that for an absolutely juicy story line? The man can motivate in the darkest of times. Ryan Fitzpatrick is completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 2,734 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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The New York Jets, winners of their last five games, are one victory away from making the playoffs in their first season under head coach Todd Bowles. There’s nothing wrong with having confidence in your team, but it makes you look like a joke when you continually fail to deliver on your promises.
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula unexpectedly issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying he fully supports the tandem of head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley. Instead, they’ll miss out for the 16th straight year.
The Jets want to keep this wining trajectory going.
And suddenly the Bills have a game of national importance when it seemed they were merely playing out the string. And even the prospect of spoiling his former team’s playoff chances – the Jets can clinch a berth with a win or a tie – barely raised a stir. Gang Green can’t overlook the Bills because, like Fitzpatrick said, “We have to take care of business”. “We just didn’t produce the wins I thought we would”, said Ryan to WGR 550 radio in Buffalo per ESPN.
In what could be Andy Reid’s best coaching job ever, the Kansas City Chiefs ended the year on an absolute tear, turning a 1-5 start into a nine game winning streak and entering the playoffs as the team no one wants to face.
They will be fielding a team mostly of backups, but could get a strong performance from a group of guys who are unsure if they will be around for the next season. Asked what it felt like to be so close to be the playoffs, Bowles said, “It’s just close”. There’s no pressure on us. The wide-out recorded his ninth 100-yard game of the year (fourth in his last five) and added two more touchdowns to give himself a total of 13, which is a career-high.
The MVP consideration might be going a tad overboard, but it’s cool to see Fitzpatrick getting this kind of praise. In his final season with the Jets, it ballooned to 109.
“Fitz has been fantastic for us”, Pace said. Beginning against the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick and Marshall have hooked up 39 times for 576 yards and six touchdowns. Decker has, too, with 75 catches, including 11 TD grabs.
These are the things the Jets players expected back in September. “There’s a little bit of extra meaning there, but I don’t think there needs to be, with the significance and the importance of the game and what’s at stake for us”. But at the same time you know I don’t think you need to go in and say here is the message for the team only and things like that.
I find it ironic that you chose to follow your father’s path with the “no East Carolina’s” comment. I think he’s really stepped up. Pittsburgh had all the momentum to do some serious damage, and every team was just hoping that they would slip up; and they did.
It’s as routine as the interview tactics from both coaches.
We’ll see whether this causes Rex to change his approach.
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Running back Boobie Clark admitted, “Since we’re not in the playoffs, this game becomes our Super Bowl”.
