Palladino: He Won't Win It, But Fitz Deserves Consideration For NFL MVP
By Ernie Palladino
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Whether Ryan Fitzpatrick winds up in serious contention for this year's MVP award after Sunday's playoffs-or-bust game in Buffalo is immaterial.
The fact is, he's the Jets' most important player, even his teammates don't quite see it that way.
Brandon Marshall took home the Curtis Martin MVP Award on Thursday, but with all due respect it would be hard to imagine the veteran wide receiver putting up the numbers he put up had Geno Smith been his quarterback all season.
Without Fitzpatrick, Marshall wouldn't be on the cusp of the first playoff appearance of his 10-year career. While we're at it, Todd Bowles' rookie season as an NFL head coach would almost certainly not have been as successful.
Truth be told, when Marshall and Bowles run across IK Enemkpali during pregame warmups on Sunday, they should give the Bills linebacker a big hug.
Remember, it was Enemkpali who delivered the knockout blow to Geno Smith's year, and probably his career, during a training camp fight. In effect, the then-Jets defensive end forced Bowles to turn Fitzpatrick, a journeyman backup, into a starter.
We see how that turned out. Fitzpatrick never lost the job even in the wake of left thumb surgery. Aside from one disastrous relief appearance during Week 8 in Oakland when Fitzpatrick hurt the thumb, Smith spent the season with helmet in hand. And now a win in Ralph Wilson Stadium against their former coach will will give the Jets a playoff spot.
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For all the power the Jets have on offense, from the rugged running of Chris Ivory to one of the most dangerous pass receiving combos in the NFL in Marshall and Eric Decker, the rise to a 10-win season wouldn't have happened without Fitzpatrick.
Those who bleed Jets green will argue that Fitzpatrick has earned at least a nod in the real MVP race. But unless the Jets actually secure that wildcard berth, he'll probably fall behind the likes of Carolina's Cam Newton, Arizona's Carson Palmer, Seattle's Russell Wilson, and New England's Tom Brady. And when one considers the job Brady did in coaxing a 12-win season out of an offense that lost virtually every key skill position player to injury, he might deserve the award more than anyone.
And Lord knows, if sliding technique ever became a criteria for MVP consideration, any Fitzpatrick supporter would be laughed off the voting board.
Yet, none of that takes away from Fitzpatrick's season. It might not earn him any glittery hardware, but it has already secured him a place in his coaches' and fans' hearts.
Fitzpatrick's stats have been nothing short of miraculous for an 11-year veteran who has averaged just under 10 starts per year. Of course, the explosiveness of Marshall and Decker has helped tremendously in getting Fitzpatrick to a career-high 29 passing touchdowns and possibly to 4,000 yards, which only legendary Joe Namath has done in green.
One would not be totally out of line by placing Marshall (1,376 receiving yards and 13 TDs) in the league MVP conversation, though he would get stiff competition from the Steelers' Antonio Brown. But voters tend to favor quarterbacks and running backs, as a wide receiver has not been named MVP since the Sporting News gave its 1990 award to San Francisco's Jerry Rice.
For all Marshall and Decker's contributions, it was still Fitzpatrick, the calm, wily vet, who got them the ball consistently. It was the Harvard product who was so willing to give up his body in such an un-Ivy League fashion on devil-may-care scrambles up the open middle.
He's been cool, and the offense has followed his lead.
He has been humble, and his teammates have wanted to win for him. Indeed, they will go after the wildcard spot Sunday as much for their quarterback, who, like Marshall, has never gone to the playoffs, as for their coach and themselves.
He doesn't covet the MVP award. The playoffs are what matter to him.
However Sunday goes down, Fitzpatrick has proved himself as his team's MVP.
Given where the Jets were last year, that will be more than plenty to satisfy everyone.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino
