Report: Todd Bowles decided to bench Ryan Fitzpatrick after watching film

Todd Bowles apparently meant what he said about the team’s quarterback situation after Monday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but the New York Jets head coach ended up changing his mind.

Bowles initially threw more support behind Ryan Fitzpatrick after another uninspiring performance from the veteran, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports that Bowles had a “change of heart” after reviewing the game film.

Jets coach Todd Bowles benched quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick this week after initially backing the veteran following Monday night’s loss at Arizona, a change of heart that materialized after reviewing game film, sources said. Fitzpatrick struggled again, this time despite being given detailed keys and reads by the coaching staff, with Bowles and his staff the former architects of the Arizona defense during their time under Bruce Arians with the Cardinals.

The Jets felt that Fitzpatrick should have been adequately prepared to take on Bowles’ former team, but he still showed an inability to make basic reads and locked in on Brandon Marshall too often. La Canfora adds that the decision to name Geno Smith the starter for Week 7 was “widely supported” within the Jets organization.

While most Jets fans believe Smith is a worse option than Fitzpatrick, the team is reportedly hopeful the former West Virginia star can exceed expectations. It doesn’t help that Fitzpatrick missed most of the offseason program, as La Canfora notes that was a source of great frustration for Jets coaches and executives.

Bowles was unhappy with the comments Smith made before Monday’s loss, but that wasn’t enough to keep him from giving Smith a shot to start.