Ryan Fitzpatrick played in Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and posted strong statistics despite his thumb injury.
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“It was a good win against a gritty team”, Todd Bowles said. “That’s the biggest thing”.
“There’s a chance it could get damaged, but the way they have got it bandaged up, he’s been OK with it”, Bowles said.
The Jets (5-3) certainly needed to hold their breath in this one. It was a win. Not the type of stats that’ll get a quarterback into Canton, but far better than what Jets fans have become accustomed to with the likes of Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez over much of the past decade. “You look back on it, a lot of these were self-inflicted, the turnovers and the penalties at inopportune times”.
The game seemed to be slipping away. Quarterback Blake Bortles led the Jaguars on a three-play 72-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 20-yard touchdown to Bryan Walters.
Jacksonville enters play with a 2-5 record and is 3-4 against the spread, while NY is now 4-3 straight up and 4-2 at the betting window after failing to cover as a 3-point road favorite last Sunday in Oakland.
Three plays later, Marshall made his big grab in the back of the end zone that made it 28-16 with 2:41 left.
“There were no major gaffes in the ballgame, so to me, that was encouraging that he could go out there and play and get us through a game”, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said. “Sometimes players come in from other teams and they have to learn the standard and learn what’s expected from them in all situations”.
Missing All-Pro center Nick Mangold and starting right guard Willie Colon, the Jets run game was invisible as Chris Ivory carried the ball 23 times for 26 yards, an average of 1.1 yard per carry.
Fitzpatrick had no issues with his thumb, which was injured last week at Oakland. It wasn’t a flawless performance but he finished 21-for-34 for 272 yards and two touchdown passes.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is likely to have surgery to fix a torn ligament in his left (non-throwing) thumb Friday, the day after the Jets face the Bills at MetLife Stadium.
“I will not be having surgery before the game on Thursday”, Fitzpatrick said.
“It depends on when I have it, but I think I still could be able to play with a brace if I did have it (during the season)”, Fitzpatrick said Monday after a light practice.
If NY gets their ground-and-pound offense going, it’ll take a tremendous amount of pressure off of Fitzpatrick. Ryan Quigley filled in as the place kicker because Nick Folk strained his squad in pre-game warmups.
Blake Bortles had 381 yards on Sunday against the NY Jets. 500 for the first time this season. Hurns roasted Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie while Robinson had little trouble getting open against Hall of Fame-bound cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jaguars might have scored the go-ahead touchdown and pulled the upset if not for the numerous mistakes they made in the fourth quarter, when Jacksonville turned the ball over three times and was flagged for a costly offsides during a first-and-goal from the Jets’ 10-yard-line.
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The Jaguars were 14th in the league defending the run at 103.6 yards a game.
