If we weren't on a 2 game skid there would probably be a more conservative approach to some of these injuries. Not fitz though, last thing the team needs is geno to play as well as fitz or better and have the media start making qb controversy noise.
Video of him practicing with glove. Looks perfectly fine in regards to form and comfort http://videos.nj.com/nj/2015/11/ryan_fitzpatrick_geno_smith_at.html
I think the biggest issue is catching those shotgun snaps and ball security overall (scrambling & getting sacked).
They said the shotgun is the easiest part. It's the snaps from center that are tough with the glove on
Sportswriters and Kurt Warner, who dealt with the injury. Said catching a ball in the shotgun can be dealt with one handed or barely using the hurt hand, but when grabbing a ball snapped directly into your hands under center, makes for a much more difficult grip with a bad thumb
I'm glad to see Fitz starting. What I'm hoping doesn't happen is he is starting just to keep Geno off the field, and we go 1 dimensional with the run game, bc then we'll lose. If we plan to go RUN crazy with flashes of Rex Ryan then I would rather have Geno play just 1 week. Yes I said it. The Jaguars WILL put up respectable points on us. We are NOT going to shut down Blake Bortles entirely. We'll need to be able to move the ball through the air and exploit the Jags weakness.
Not sure I want Fitz to catch those shotgun snaps one handed. If Kurt really said that I guess there's probably something to it. I don't know. I just find it hard to believe that Fitz would have issues taking snaps from under center. I mean Mangold basically places the ball between Fitz' palms, I don't get how the thumb or the glove should be an issue there. There are a lot of QB's that prefer to play with a glove on. The issue to me as an expert at not being a pro football player is catching shotgun snaps, you have to use both hands and both thumbs to catch the ball.
Fitz stated in today's local papers that Palmer (cards) texted him about injury and they talked. Apparently, Palmer said he can play with it and gave him some confidence. AS for smith, the poster who said he can see him starting, I have some property here in AZ for you to buy.
I would suspect the glove will be a super tacky one. I think he'll be okay catching snaps in the shotgun. _
I am thinking, just a theory mind you, is the center rocketing the ball directly into your hands that causes alot of pain in the bad thumb. The glove is padded and he has to readjust his hand placement to make sure thats an issue. In the shotgun the stong hand is doing most of the work with the injured hand acting more like a guide, with the ball having less velocity due to dustance traveled, less impact on the injures area.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-video...Neil-Ghodadra-analyzes-the-injuries-of-Week-8 At 7:15 they actually cover Fitz and his thumb and I'd have to agree with them on this, they do make sense. That's kinda how I look at it. Especially if the glove is padded it's gonna be an issue catching the snaps, he's not gonna feel where the ball is. At least not the way he would with a normal glove or without wearing a glove at all. I mean I'm sure we'll be fine regardless.
I think you're underrating how hard the ball is snapped into a guys hand. Then do it 50x it will hurt. The question really becomes where the ligament tears are...If they're on the top side of his hand its probably doable. If it's on the inside of his hand it will hurt. I'm guessing top side of hand which is why he can take snaps.
We could actually beat the Jags with Geno under center handing off and throwing passes to the 'next man up', which are the guys he practices with every day.
Oh yeah that would be so bad for the Jets to have Smith play better then Fitz. The media does not effect games. Nor does the players and coaches really care what the media say. They all know what the media is about. The things you Geno haters say is funny.
