When Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his NFL debut in the course of the last drive of Sunday’s 24-Zero annihilation of the New York Jets, nobody appeared happier than the person he’ll someday change, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The 37-year-old led the sparse house crowd in an ovation with a smile so massive it virtually outdid his magnificent beard.

And why not? Fitzpatrick is aware of that is his workforce solely quickly. He accepts and embraces it. However within the meantime, he’s balling. Fitzpatrick is seventh within the league in QBR and may stay in that territory after tossing three touchdowns towards the Jets. (He additionally threw two interceptions, one among which was the 0-6 Jets’ few highlights of the season.) His 70% completion fee is the best of his profession and he’s helming a scrappy workforce coming off back-to-back blowout wins.

The Dolphins are a pleasure to look at nowadays with a lot of the enjoyment rooted in Fitzpatrick. After Miami topped Jacksonville in Week 3’s bonanza of facial hair quarterbacks, Fitzpatrick was elated. “I really feel just like the luckiest man on the planet typically, attending to go outdoors and play soccer with my pals,” he instructed reporters.

Associated: Brady will get higher of Rodgers and Packers whereas Patriots slip below .500

Fitzpatrick has a refreshing happy-to-be-here facet to his profession however he’s additionally good, powerful and invaluable sufficient to be an ideal cease hole for any franchise. Simply ask the Rams, Bengals, Invoice, Titans, Texans, Jets, Bucs and now Dolphins. Fitzpatrick won’t ever be the tallest or quickest in a quarterback room, however nobody will prime his dedication.

Fitzpatrick’s journey was detailed by Yahoo this this summer season, a journey that concerned battling to win beginning quarterback job at Highland Excessive in Gilbert, Arizona, then shifting up the depth chart at Harvard, earlier than continuously having to reprove his price to a litany of NFL franchises. Some quarterbacks are branded as starters, some as backups. Fitzpatrick is in his personal distinctive class the place he so generally emerges because the starter that you simply lose observe of whether or not or not it was by design.

Fitzpatrick is a wonderment not due to his stronger-than-you-think arm, his escapability, and even his unending beard. It’s his self-awareness. It’s his capacity to grasp that he’s a placeholder but take the sphere like he owns the workforce. It’s his capacity to encourage his teammates.

“Fitz is only a healthful particular person. The best way he’s out on the sphere is identical approach he’s off the sphere,” Tagovailoa instructed ESPN this week. “I don’t assume there’s actually a definite change in who he’s. I imply, what you see out there’s actually who Fitz is. He’s a coach. He’s a mentor on and off the sphere. However he’s additionally a really, very family-oriented particular person. Very loving. Very caring for guys. And he’s humorous, too. He’s actually humorous.”

It’s uncertain that Aaron Rodgers might be leaping for pleasure when Jordan Love takes the sphere nor would most quarterbacks once they can see their current change into their previous within the flesh. However Fitzpatrick is a special breed. His pleasure for Tagovailoa’s entrance illuminated his objective as each a bridge and a mentor. Like Patrick Mahomes with Alex Smith, Tagovailoa entered the NFL in an idyllic state of affairs. In Fitzpatrick, he acquired a mentor that not solely leads by instance however who genuinely needs the child to succeed. It’s one factor to look at how a lot time a teammate places into movie examine, it’s one other when that teammate additionally cares about you as a human and needs to information you thru your complete thorny panorama that’s the NFL. That’s Fitz.

Each from time to time, it looks like Fitzpatrick is destined to be the man below middle. However the baton might be handed off, and probably quickly. Till then, Fitzpatrick will hold partaking in a quarterback arc that’s charmed and uniquely his.

Stat of the week

Cam Newton was provided little safety by his line on Sunday. {Photograph}: Winslow Townson/USA At this time Sports activities

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Story continues

The Patriots are below .500 this late within the season for the primary time since 2002. For many groups a 2-Three document wouldn’t be trigger for panic. It’d even be trigger for celebration when you reside within the NFC East. However this season has been a significant pivot for the Patriots who had a reserved seat within the playoffs for the final 20 years. The Pats have been sloppy on either side of the ball in a 18-12 house loss to the Broncos. Cam Newton, now recovered from Covid-19, was sacked 4 instances and had no offensive weaponry or safety. There may be the plain excuse of little to no apply time given the ability’s Covid-19 closure over a lot of the previous two weeks. However not like the Titans, who overcame the identical hurdles and crushed the Payments final Thursday, the Pats don’t look like a workforce with a lot depth or overwhelming expertise at this level.

MVP of the week

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans. All hail King Henry who placed on a clinic in Tennessee’s scintillating 42-36 extra time win towards the Texans. When JJ Watt strip-sacked Ryan Tannehill, a turnover that resulted in a landing and Houston taking the lead, it appeared like a significant momentum shift. However Henry answered with a jaw-dropping-how-does-a-man-that-big-have-those-jets 94 yard landing. Henry was additionally instrumental in extra time, barreling upfield on a 53-yard display screen after which scoring the game-winner on a direct snap. Henry ended with 212 speeding yards and have become the primary participant in NFL historical past with 200-yard video games in three consecutive seasons. May he be probably the most harmful rusher since Adrian Peterson in his prime?

Video of the week

Aaron Jones ran in a one-yard landing within the first quarter for Inexperienced Bay but it surely was the opposite Aaron who actually felt the second. Sure, Aaron Rodgers carried out the Hingle McCringleberry extreme celebration sketch, a fictional soccer participant made well-known from Key and Peele.

Quote of the week

“We’re the most effective protection on this league” – Bears inside linebacker Danny Trevathan.

Associated: Ought to the Bengals sit Joe Burrow to cease the expertise being hammered out of him?

It’s onerous to argue with Trevathan after the Bears’ protection turned in one other dominating, opportunistic defensive efficiency, topping Carolina 23-16. They have been flat out stifling as the sport progressed, particularly the run stuffers. As Kevin Fishbain of the Athletic factors out the Bears allowed Panthers rusher Mike Davis to gather 40 yards on eight carries. However after that they held him to 12 yards on 10 carries. The Bears now sit at a really wholesome 5-1 and the protection saving the offense appears to be a theme for Chicago this season – and virtually all of their seasons.

Elsewhere across the league

Ndamukong Suh sacks Aaron Rodgers in the course of the second-quarter. {Photograph}: Kim Klement/USA At this time Sports activities

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— The arrival of Tom Brady put lots of deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense however their protection is without doubt one of the finest within the league. They made Rodgers look atypical, whereas they harassed him all afternoon because the Bucs inflicted the Inexperienced Bay Packers’ first lack of the season. Certainly, the Bucs protection was so dominant that Rodgers was pulled within the fourth-quarter to guard him from additional punishment.

— After accidents to the Jags’ first 4 kickers this season, they reached deep into the pile and pulled out … somebody who had by no means tried a subject aim at any stage. Jon Brown was a soccer participant at Louisville earlier than transferring to Kentucky to play soccer the place he turned a kickoff specialist. However even with out the expertise, Brown drilled his first-ever try like a seasoned vet, although he did miss a 32-yarder later in Jacksonville’s 34-16 loss to the Lions.

— Steelers-Browns didn’t fairly stay as much as its Sport of the Week billing. Pittsburgh clobbered Cleveland 38-7, once more showcasing their elite wideout scouting with James Washington becoming a member of Chase Claypool as a pressure. The Steelers protection, aided by a key Minkah Fitzpatrick interception, appeared way more stout than final week. Steelers-Ravens in Week eight ought to be on everybody’s calendars.

— Interim Texans head coach Romeo Crennel had the controversial teaching transfer of the week. The Texans scored with 1:50 left and took a seven-point lead. As a substitute of kicking it to place Houston up eight, Crennel rolled the cube and tried to go for a win with a two-point conversion.

— The NFL woke to nice information in Sunday, when zero Covid-19 assessments got here again constructive.

— Presumptive No1 general choose Trevor Lawrence carried out his newest masterpiece Saturday, his ridiculous arm and determination making guiding Clemson to an historic 73-7 rout of Georgia Tech. Already up 52-7 on the half, Lawrence left the sport after one second-half collection with 5 touchdowns, 405 yards, and all quarterback-deficient NFL groups salivating.

— Vikings followers, how are you feeling about Kirk Cousins’ $66m assured contract extension? Yikes. He threw three touchdowns in Minnesota’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons … and likewise three interceptions. “The fact is that if the tempo I’m on by way of the interceptions, if that have been to proceed, I gained’t end the season,” Cousins mentioned. He’s proper.