Ryan Fitzpatrick
ESNY Graphic, Getty Images

The New York Giants will face-off against a familiar foe Sunday when journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the Miami Dolphins into MetLife Stadium. 

Perhaps the New York Giants‘ best chance to secure a third win will come Sunday when they play host to the 3-10 Miami Dolphins. Of course, with the Dolphins coming to town, the Giants will face a familiar foe at quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick is set to make his fourth carer start against the Giants in a fourth different uniform. With a win Sunday, Fitzpatrick would improve to .500 against the Giants in his carer as he is 1-2 so far in his carer.

With Fitzpatrick set to take on Eli Manning and the Giants again, let’s take a look back at the three previous matchups.

2011: Giants 27, Bills 24

The first Fitzpatrick-Giants matchup came in 2011 when Fitzpatrick led a 4-1 Buffalo team into MetLife Stadium to take on the 3-2 and eventual world champion Giants.

This game would be a back, and forth affair, as the Giants struck first blood with an Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown run, but Fitzpatrick and the Bills answered right back with an 80-yard Fred Jackson touchdown run.

Fitzpatrick would later work his magic as he hit Naaman Roosevelt for a 60-yard touchdown to put the Bills in front 14-7.

The teams would head into the half-time locker rooms tied at 17 after the Giants scored on a Lawerence Tynes field goal and another Bradshaw touchdown run while Buffalo added three on a Rian Lindell field goal.

Later, Bradshaw’s third touchdown run put New York on top 24-17, but Fitzpatrick would not let his team die as he hit Stevie Johnson for a nine-yard touchdown to tie the game.
However, the game would not end well for Fitzpatrick as he threw a key late interception to Corey Webster, which would eventually set-up a 23-yard game-winning field goal by Tynes and the Giants.

In the loss, Fitzpatrick finished 21-for-30 with 244 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

2014: Giants 30, Texans 17

In 2014, Fitzpatrick again got a crack at Big Blue as he led a 2-0 Houston Texans team into MetLife Stadium to take on the winless Giants.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter, but it would be the Giants to crack the scoreboard first as Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz for a 24-yard score.

Then a mistake by Fitzpatrick that helped extend the New York lead. Fitzpatrick tossed an interception to New York’s Antrel Rolle, setting up the Giants at the Houston two-yard line. This quickly turned into seven points for the Giants as Rashad Jennings scored from a yard out to put the Giants up 14-0 heading into half-time.

Later trailing 17-0, Fitzpatrick began to bring the Texans back. He would lead a 71-yard drive, which ended in a 27 yard Randy Bullock field goal, and on the ensuing position, Fitzpatrick hit Damaris Johnson for a 44-yard touchdown.

This would not phase the Giants, however, as they’d later score 13 unanswered points after a nine-yard Manning touchdown pass to Daniel Fells and a pair of John Brown field goals.

Fitzpatrick would add a rushing touchdown in garbage time, but it was far too little too late as the Giants won the game to hand the Texans their first loss of the season.

As for Fitzpatrick, he finished the game 20-for-34 with 289 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

2015: Jets 23, Giants 20 (OT)

The most recent game against the Giants for Fitzpatrick came in 2015 while a member of the New York Jets.

Both New York squads entered play in need of a win with the Jets alive in the AFC wild-card race at 7-6 and Giants with a chance at the NFC East title at 6-6.

The Jets would strike first blood with a 24-yard Randy Bullock field goal, but from there, it was the Giants who scored the games next 10 points.

Dwayne Harris put the Giants on top 7-3 with an 80-yard punt return touchdown. Then, after a Jets’ Chris Ivory fumble, the Giants would extend their lead to 10-3 with a 20-yard John Brown field goal.

The Jets would respond, however, as Fitzpatrick hit Bilal Powell for a 25-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10. Then, it would again be the Giants with 10 unanswered points as Odell Beckham Jr. got loose for a 72-yard touchdown, and Brown nailed a 35-yard field goal to give the Giants a 20-10 half-time lead.

From there, the only offense came from Fitzpatrick and the Jets. Still, up 20-10 heading into the fourth quarter, all looked smooth sailing for the Giants. However, the Jets chipped away with a 24-yard Bullock field goal.

Then down to their final drive, Fitzpatrick lived up to his “Fitzmagic” nickname as he led a 10-play, 71-yard drive in just 2:13 minutes, which ended in a nine-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall to force overtime.

In overtime, the Jets scored first with a 31-yard Bullock field goal, giving the Giants one last chance to score.

The Giants would drive down the field, but on 3rd-and-6 from the Jets 30-yard line, Manning threw incomplete to Rueben Randle, forcing Brown to try a 48-yard field goal to extend the game. Brown’s kick would miss wide left as Fitzpatrick picked up his first win against the Giants.

Sunday’s game will mark the fourth time Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Giants meet each other.