The Ryan Fitzpatrick experience is going better than most Miami Dolphins fans would have expected. The team hasn’t been able to consistently score points on a weekly basis, but Fitzpatrick has strong-armed this gig from 2nd-year quarterback Josh Rosen and has not looked back. In the process, Miami has transitioned from the hard luck roadkill that Baltimore, New England and Dallas treated them as and has molded into the role of a scrappy underdog each week looking to play spoiler. Three times this season, Miami has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, much thanks to Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Fitzpatrick detractors will be quick to point out that the veteran journeyman does this every year. He feeds just enough hope to make you ponder if maybe he needs another crack the following year. No one is taking that bait here in Miami — the Dolphins’ need for a long-term answer is more present than ever, even if Fitzpatrick is back behind center for yet another season in 2020.
But Fitzpatrick’s 2019 season hasn’t had many of the valleys that are typically hallmarks of his annual report. There’s few games in which Fitzpatrick is holding Miami back — quite the contrary. This feels like the most consistent Fitzpatrick has ever played with the exception of his 2015 season in New York with the Jets. And so Miami would be wise to look at Fitzpatrick and what’s working with him and these Dolphins and try to apply those lessons to finding their next quarterback.
Fitzpatrick’s play this season has been fearless in the pocket, he thrives in stepping up escaping through interior gaps to find chunks of yardage or buy time to throw. Fearlessness is probably the best way to describe Fitzpatrick’s play all together — he trusts his receivers, he’s not afraid to take a hit and put his body on the line for a critical yard and there’s a calm, reassurance presence in the huddle and in the locker room under the watchful eye of Fitzpatrick.
So Miami’s next signal caller? The moment can’t be too big for them. The Dolphins need someone who understands leverage in coverage and be willing to throw the ball to his receivers even when covered. That’s where the physical play of DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Mike Gesicki and others can all shine. And they need to have a magnetic personality and enthusiasm for football. That one is easily overlooked, as it doesn’t show up in the box score. But it is the root of Fitzpatrick’s success and consistency this season — and will be a needed factor in Miami’s quarterback of the future.
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