Ryan Fitzpatrick Proves He Can Throw New York Jets to Victory

Ryan Fitzpatrick is just as capable of being Fitzmagic as he is capable of being Fitztragic.

The joke has been made hundreds of times this year about the New York Jets starting quarterback, but it's proving to be all too true as Fitzpatrick leads his sixth different team as a starter. But in his six previous stops, Fitzpatrick was never able to log more than six wins in a season. 

Sunday's 23-20 overtime win against the New York Giants changed that, as the Jets moved to 7-5 and a step closer to earning a postseason berth for the first time since 2010. The Jets are playing like a completely different team after dropping four out of five, and much of that is thanks to Fitzpatrick. 

The Harvard graduate has really turned up his game over the past two weeks.  

To say that Fitzpatrick carried the burden on Sunday against the Giants would be an understatement. The Amish Rifle finished 36-of-50 passing (72 percent) for 390 yards, two touchdowns and a 107.9 passer rating. It's the first time Fitzpatrick's team has won a game in which he has attempted 50 or more passes; he's 1-3 in those situations.

Between Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall, Fitzpatrick has two top-notch big-bodied receivers who make his job a lot easier. Fitzpatrick can thank those two for his huge day; Decker and Marshall combined for 20 receptions, 232 yards and a touchdown—more than half of Fitzpatrick's total production on the day.

It was Marshall who climbed the ladder for an unbelievable leaping touchdown catch that sent the game to overtime in the final seconds of regulation. The NFL provided highlights:

Here's a crazy stat from Rich Cimini of ESPN: Marshall and Fitzpatrick are just the fourth receiver-quarterback duo to have 10 receiving touchdowns and 20 passing touchdowns in the same year for the Jets. 

In that respect, Fitzpatrick has been just as good or better than the Jets could have expected him to be headed into the season. Yes, he has cost the Jets a couple of games with some boneheaded throws and poor production, but he has shown not just the propensity to play the role of "game manager" but also to carry the team on his shoulders, as he did on Sunday.

Of course, the Jets offense didn't look so hot from start to finish. In fact, it turned in a very sloppy first three quarters with just 10 points before a 10-point flurry in the fourth quarter. The Jets scored on their final three possessions to give them the win. Chris Gross noted the Jets' impressive journey, overcoming a number of obstacles:

If the Jets want to make a postseason push, they'll need to get contributions from more than just Decker and Marshall on offense. They'll need to get better performances from running back Chris Ivory, who was held to just 47 rushing yards on 10 carries and had a fumble. Most of that damage was done while the Jets were fighting through futility.

But on Sunday, they got hot at the right time.

Hey, that sounds a lot like what the Giants have done en route to their two Super Bowl wins since 2007. Maybe it's time for the Jets to take a lesson from "big brother"—although that label could be wearing off after Sunday's game.