Jets Fitzpatrick on facing Pats This is huge for me

The fate of this year's resilient boils down to one very familiar task on Sunday: knocking off the .A lo s would likely finish off Gang Green in the AFC. A win, though, would place the in excellent position for a wild-card berth with a victory over the in Week 17.Playoffs aside, Sunday's Stanley Johnson Jersey border war between these long-testy rivals means plenty to both clubs. After all, it was who once declared, before New York safety admitted: While New England's fortunes still pivot around Brady, this year's have clung to a quarterback that few expected to be at the center of E'Twaun Moore Jersey a late-December playoff run: ."I don't know if I want to place a significance on it, where (it ranks) in my career, ," Fitzpatrick said of Sunday's duel, per ESPN.com. "I'm excited. This is why everybody in here plays the game, to play in a football games like this in December and have a shot at playing longer."Long tagged as a mundane journeyman, Fitzpatrick has toiled for six teams over the past decade, with only his stint in Buffalo lasting more than two seasons. In New York, though, the Amish Rifle has reunited with creative play-caller Chan Gailey. The pairing has worked, with Fitzpatrick playing the best football of his career during a heady four-game win streak for the .These final two weeks must hold special meaning for the signal-caller. After all, the slayed Fitzpatrick repeatedly during Elfrid Payton Jersey his four-season stretch in Buffalo, while the -- next week's opponent -- after signing him to a lucrative contract extension.This is a ma sive opportunity for Fitzpatrick, who has a chance to turn the into a playoff team for the first time since 2010. The years since have been a painful oblivion for New York's loyal fan base, watching Rex Ryan go down in flames while Brady's remain eternally nestled on their comfortable throne.New England rests atop the AFC once again, but players believe this year is different, with Pryor pointing to the as an enemy that no longer holds a psychological grip over one Sindarius Thornwell Jersey of football's grittiest rivalries."When we played them the first time, we felt like Willy Hernangomez Jersey we could play with them, but we didn't feel like we could dominate and win that game," Pryor said. Unlike those increasingly tedious Ryan-led teams, this year's are fueled by more than just bluster and hot air. Said Bowles:"We've grown. We're playing together and they trust each other a little more. We have better chemistry."We've seen that on the field over the past four weeks, but the acid test -- the only test that matters -- comes Sunday.