Jets' Fitzpatrick: 'I'm a better player than I was last year'
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has high expectations for both himself and his team in 2016.
"I want to be in the playoffs," he said Monday to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "We'll see what happens, but I think we've got the right guys to do it. ... Our expectations are higher this year. I think we're a more confident football team."
The Jets return a loaded roster that won 10 games last season and was on the brink of a postseason berth. However, they famously imploded in a win-and-you're-in Week 17 game against the rival Buffalo Bills.
Fitzpatrick threw for a career-high 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns, but that year-long performance may have been overshadowed by three interceptions in the finale.
"I'm a better player than I was last year," Fitzpatrick said. "I feel like I keep progressing. I don't know what the stats are going to be, but I'm going to be a better player this year than I was last year. I know that."
But the Jets may not be so sure. Over the course of Fitzpatrick's 11-year career, consistency has evaded him. He's suited up for six different teams, failing to make the playoffs in any season, while his longest stint was a four-year stay in Buffalo marred by turnovers.
As a result, the Jets balked at handing Fitzpatrick a long-term contract in the offseason. The two sides were embroiled in a highly publicized dispute that was eventually resolved with a one-year, $12-million compromise.
"They didn't want to fully commit to me with more than one year, and so they want me to prove myself again. That's fine. I've got no problem doing that. I'm betting on myself," Fitzpatrick said.
The only way to cement his status may be leading the Jets to the postseason this year. The rival New England Patriots will be without Tom Brady for the first four weeks, the Buffalo Bills have been ravaged by injuries and suspensions, and the Miami Dolphins begin anew with a first-year head coach. Whether winning the division or through the wild card, Fitzpatrick has but one mission.
" ... I want so bad to get (to the playoffs), and part of it is because I've never been there," he said. "But a lot of it is the guys that have put so much faith in me. That's what keeps me going and why I want to get there so bad."