FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is a smart cookie. He's a Harvard grad who can solve a Rubik's cube in less than two minutes.

But he can't seem to figure out Rex Ryan's defense.

Fitzpatrick's starting record against Ryan-coached defenses is 1-8, spanning Ryan's last three teams -- the Baltimore Ravens (0-1), the Jets (1-5) and now the Buffalo Bills (0-2), whom he faces on Thursday night.

The self-deprecating Fitzpatrick acknowledged his career numbers against Ryan aren't good, but he noted his overall stats "aren't competing with Hall of Famers." This is true, but he's better than a 1-8 quarterback.

He's better than a 48-percent completion rate and 178 yards per game, his other numbers from his Rex encounters. Let's not forget the 14 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, including five last season.

"He understands what he has done in the past and, going forward, you can't hold on," coach Todd Bowles said of his quarterback. "You can learn from that and, at some point, it has to change. We just have to play better. He has to take better care of the ball, guys have to get open, we have to block better -- it's not just him. We struggled on offense, period."

Bowles wasn't blaming Fitzpatrick for last season's losses to the Bills, but everybody knows he didn't play well in those games. His storybook season unraveled in the fourth quarter of the second meeting in Week 17, when he threw interceptions on three straight possessions. The first pick, an end-zone throw to Eric Decker, was the killer because they were in scoring range.

It haunted Fitzpatrick in the offseason because of the significance. They came within one or two plays of making the playoffs.

"It hurts and stings to watch some of that," he said, "but you try to learn from it and get better."

Fitzpatrick doesn't subscribe to the notion that Ryan has his number, saying, "I don't know if it's necessarily his defense versus my quarterback play. It's just me going out there and making smart decisions and good throws."

To some degree, Fitzpatrick is right. It's also worth noting Ryan has presided over some very good defensive units. From 2009 to 2012, the Jets were second in the NFL in fewest yards allowed, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They roughed up a bunch of quarterbacks in that time period. At the time, Fitzpatrick played for the Bills, who weren't exactly loaded with Pro Bowl talent. But last season was baffling because Ryan's defense was uncharacteristically mediocre and yet still caused problems for Fitzpatrick.

The Bills did a good job of taking away he middle of the field, forcing him to make throws outside his comfort zone. They also frustrated the Jets in the red zone, alternating double teams on Decker and Brandon Marshall. Give Ryan credit; he did his homework on the Jets' tendencies.

"I think there's a lot of circumstances that go into it," Ryan said on a conference call, downplaying his dominance over Fitzpatrick. "He's a good football player, obviously. Last year, he broke almost every (team) record -- or was right up there with every record. He's an outstanding quarterback. It's just one of those things, I guess."

You could almost see Ryan winking through the speaker phone.