Roll Ryan roll! Fitzpatrick a real threat (to others, not himself) running the ball.
Graceful, he is not.
But effective and efficient? Ryan Fitzpatrick is better in that regard than any Dolphins ball-carrier who’s had at least five rushes this season.
What’s more, Fitzpatrick — whose 40 time is best measured with an egg timer — will probably be the Dolphins’ top rusher, period, when the season ends in two and a half weeks.
After leading the Dolphins with 65 yards on seven carries Sunday, Fitzpatrick moved into second place on the team’s season rushing list with 186 yards.
And he’s just 15 yards behind the team leader, Mark Walton — who’s not even on the roster anymore.
In other words, move over Lamar Jackson. You have company among the league’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.
“I don’t think he’s watching any of my film,” Fitzpatrick deadpanned Sunday.
True, Fitzpatrick has some ground to make up if he wants to lead the NFL’s quarterbacks in rushing. Through 13 weeks, he’s a mere 831 yards behind the Ravens’ Jackson.
What’s more, Fitzpatrick probably won’t even set a personal best for rushing yards in a season. He’s 118 shy of that record.
But in a Dolphins season with little levity, forgive us for having a little fun — which Fitzpatrick was kind enough to indulge us in during his Wednesday news conference.
His favorite running back?
“I’m a big Larry Centers guy.” (As in ex-Cardinals fullback Larry Centers.)
Did Fitzpatrick run a lot at Harvard?
“Yeah, I definitely wasn’t a dual threat, but we ran a little bit of option. Yeah, but not because I was an athlete but, just because of the scheme of that.”
Fitzpatrick’s rules for when the ball is in his hands?
“Try not to look awkward, but I just look awkward. I go down awkward. I have moves that a 37-year-old white guy would have. I look the same way on the field as I do on the dance floor.”
Granted, this might be a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry situation for coordinator Chad O’Shea and his offense. It’s OK if Jackson leads his team in rushing. He’s one of the planet’s most dynamic players.
But Fitzpatrick is — ahem — not.
Rather, his spot near the top of the stat sheet is more a reflection of collective failure and unforeseen circumstances than anything else.
Walton got kicked off the team a few weeks back after a domestic violence arrest. Kenyan Drake is still third on the list (174 yards on 47 carries) nearly two months after being traded to the Cardinals. Kalen Ballage (135 yards on 74 carries) is out for the season with a leg injury.
So the only Dolphin with a realistic shot at catching Fitzpatrick is Patrick Laird, who has 84 yards on 31 carries.
“I’m aware of the rushing statistics, I am,” O’Shea said, when a reporter asked if he knew how close Fitzpatrick was to the team lead.
“Things don’t go as planned, which that’s the case in a lot of areas offensively and in all phases of the game,” O’Shea added. “I’m certainly glad he’s capable of doing what he can do to create some yards — much-needed yards for us — and that’s been a positive.”
So what makes Fitzpatrick so effective on the ground? His fearlessness, for one. While most quarterbacks try to avoid contact, he seems to seek it out.
But he’s not just some bowling ball, knocking over defensive backs like pins.
“I think a lot of it has to do with he’s very instinctive,” O’Shea added. “I think he’s got great pocket awareness. He knows exactly the right time to do it, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Obviously he’s probably more physically gifted than people give him credit for, but I think that a lot of it has to do with just his overall awareness and being a very instinctive player at the position.”
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