The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers faced quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the phenomenon known as “FitzMagic” was all the rage in Tampa Bay.
No wonder. In the first two games of the 2018 season, Fitzpatrick passed for 417 and 402 yards, respectively, to lead the Buccaneers to a 2-0 start.
The Steelers escaped with a 30-27 victory at Raymond James Stadium for their first win of the season, but Fitzpatrick, despite throwing an early pick-6 to Bud Dupree, nearly willed the Buccaneers to a comeback victory in the second half.
Fitzpatrick rallied the Buccaneers from a 30-10 halftime deficit to within three points in the fourth quarter before the Steelers made one final stop and ran out the clock. Fitzpatrick finished with his third consecutive 400-yard game, completing 30 of 50 attempts for 411 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I have a lot of respect for Ryan Fitzpatrick,” Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “There is a reason he gets hired all the time.”
The Miami Dolphins are the eighth organization to employ Fitzpatrick, who will make his seventh career start against the Steelers on Monday night at Heinz Field.
Although the 36-year-old Fitzpatrick has never beaten the Steelers in a career that dates to 2005 – he is 0-6 in six prior starts – and despite the Dolphins taking a winless record into the prime-time matchup, the Steelers vow not to take him lightly.
“He’s seen everything,” cornerback Joe Haden said. “He’s got a really good arm, and when you are playing against teams that haven’t had wins, they’ll do a little bit of everything. You have to pay attention to detail and be focused because he’s going to be out there winging it.”
In those six starts against the Steelers – two with Cincinnati, one each with Buffalo, Houston, New York Jets and Tampa Bay – Fitzpatrick has passed for 1,525 yards with nine touchdowns, six interceptions and a 80.2 passer rating.
“He’s always been adept at creating plays the get extended,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “That’s troublesome and worrisome from out perspective.”
Signed to a two-year, $11 million contract, Fitzpatrick opened the season as the Dolphins starter but was replaced by second-year passer Josh Rosen after throwing one touchdown pass and three interceptions during an 0-2 start.
Fitzpatrick returned late in Week 5 against the Washington Redskins and nearly pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback. He helped the Dolphins take a first-half lead against Buffalo the next week.
“This guy is a competitor,” Butler said. “He loves to play the game, he is going to take chances, he is kind of a gunslinger. Shoot, I would like to have him as my teammate, to be honest with you. The way he plays, to me he is a great teammate. When you are a great teammate, the guys around you usually like to follow, especially at that position. Everyone wants to like their quarterback. He gives them a reason all the time.”
Although the Dolphins are rebuilding after trading several starters, including safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, first-year coach Brian Flores is committed to playing Ryan Fitzpatrick – at least for the time being.
“He gives us experience, leadership and he has a great rapport with his teammates,” Flores said on a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters. “I think he gives us the best chance to compete.”
The Dolphins will be minus one of their skill position players when they take on the Steelers. Running back Kenyan Drake, who has 174 yards rushing and receiving each, did not make the trip to Pittsburgh, and various outlets reported Monday that he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals.
“We had a lot of movement early in the season, and the first 3-4 games were like training camp with guys getting to know each other,” Flores said last week. “We had the bye week, tried to put some things in order. I think we are starting to come together as a team, and we played a little better the past couple weeks, but we have a long way to go. That is clear.”
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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