Bills fans should take Ryan Fitzpatrick seriously...

[Punch]

No one here has said that he's the long term answer. What this thread was about was that he should at least be in the conversation about being the long term answer at QB given his recent play. Like no other position, every QB has a learning curve. Some are great right off the bat like Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. While others, like Drew Brees, take about 30 games for the light switch to come on. I think the light switch may have come on for Fitzpatrick. When I watch him play, the game doesn't seems too big for him. There's a sense of command and comfortability. In the end, this isn't going to be a hard decision. Either Fitzpatrick shows a Brees-like coming out party in 2010 or they will no doubt be drafting a QB at #1.

 

BTW, someone here said that "his accuracy is wildly inconsistent" ... over his last 6 starts his completion percentage is 63%, he's thrown 12 TDs with only 4 interceptions. Whoever said that needs to watch the games again.

 

Citing his statistics does not equate "watching the games". When watching the games he appears wildly inconsistent on intermediate throws. The most obvious examples being the New England game, where if he makes at least 2 of the 3 really bad throws (the 2 INTs and the overthrow to Roscoe in the red zone on the opening drive) the Bills might win the game.

 

There's nothing that needs to be "switched on" with Fitz: he has both the temperament and toughness to be a starting NFL QB (which is rare). I don't think he can improve his accuracy, but the accuracy is really the only issue. It's the only reason no team has considered him to be starting material. Honestly, when a coaching staff can't trust his arm to hit every pass everything else goes out the window. Temperament, toughness, and arm (strength and accuracy) are all part of the equation. If any part is lacking, move on.

 

For the record, JP was one of the least accurate QBs the Bills have had this decade, yet in 2006 he completed more than 60% of his passes. Does that mean he was accurate?

Edited October 19, 2010 by Punch

[MattyT]

Looking forward to seeing what affect the "real" Buffalo weather has on Fitzy's accuracy.

[thewildrabbit]

I'm gonna give you guys about 3 more games and I know I'll start hearing constant bleating that Fitz sucks, lets see what Brohm can do

 

 

I heard it last season, I'll hear it again this season...

[1B4IDie]

Looking forward to seeing what affect the "real" Buffalo weather has on Fitzy's accuracy.

To Stir the pot:

 

How About January 3, 2010 in a "real" snow storm.

16/25 155 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INTs

[Punch]

To Stir the pot:

 

How About January 3, 2010 in a "real" snow storm.

16/25 155 Yards, 3 TD, 0 INTs

 

That's true--- but the Colts started sitting players early and were likely not playing their regular defense in a meaningless game. Plus, fewer than 9 yards per completion? A lot of short passes in the elements to be sure, but the TDs were all beauties.

[1B4IDie]

That's true--- but the Colts started sitting players early and were likely not playing their regular defense in a meaningless game. Plus, fewer than 9 yards per completion? A lot of short passes in the elements to be sure, but the TDs were all beauties.

Yeah I know all the backups were in, but his accuracy was still there.

The next few games KC, DET, and Cinci will give Fitzy enough time to earn some respect. (I wish we could just skip the Ravens game, its going to be brutal watching Ray Rice run all over the Bills and Ray Lewis kill the Bills RB\WR and possibly QBs given how bad Fitzy gets buried, I know they say "Any Given Sunday" but the two franchises are in different classes.)

I like the idea of the Fitzpatrick Bridge while Mallet waits in the wings.

 

Here some quick and dirty recent round 1 QBs and the number of games they played as a rookie

Flacco, Matt Ryan, Stafford, Bradford, Vince Young, Roethlisberger had 14 had to start week 1 as rookies.

Eli Manning played 9 and JaMarcuss Russell 4, Alex Smith 6, Cutler played 4, Josh Freeman played 9, Matt Leinhert played 12, as rookies.

It looks like only Philip Rivers, Aron Rodgers, & Brady Quinn got a chance to sit out a full year.

 

If\When the Bills take a QB in the first round given the recent history of 1st round QBs it doesn't look like they'll have time to "Develop" the QB on the bench.

If you look and Rivers\Rodgers\Quinn, Thats 2\3 hits for a franchise QB, small sample but it seems like a much higher success rate. Plus Quinn actually played 1 game so keeping the Franchise QB on the bench a year while Fitzy plays looks like an even better idea.

 

This is quick and dirty so if you have any other examples of First Round QBs in the last ten years feel free to classify them as start immediately, start a portion of the games in a season or sit as a rookie.

 

Actually looking at the list a second time. There are really only three complete busts Quinn, Russell and Leinhert. Smith has been serviceable has not lived up to #1 overall draft status.

I must be missing some more first rounders. Oh yeah JP Lossman, who got to sit his rookie year

Edited October 19, 2010 by Levitre + Wang = Wood

[Punch]

Yeah I know all the backups were in, but his accuracy was still there.

The next few games KC, DET, and Cinci will give Fitzy enough time to earn some respect. (I wish we could just skip the Ravens game, its going to be brutal watching Ray Rice run all over the Bills and Ray Lewis kill the Bills RB\WR and possibly QBs given how bad Fitzy gets buried, I know they say "Any Given Sunday" but the two franchises are in different classes.)

I like the idea of the Fitzpatrick Bridge while Mallet waits in the wings.

 

Here some quick and dirty recent round 1 QBs and the number of games they played as a rookie

Flacco, Matt Ryan, Stafford, Bradford, Vince Young, Roethlisberger had 14 had to start week 1 as rookies.

Eli Manning played 9 and JaMarcuss Russell 4, Alex Smith 6, Cutler played 4, Josh Freeman played 9, Matt Leinhert played 12, as rookies.

It looks like only Philip Rivers, Aron Rodgers, & Brady Quinn got a chance to sit out a full year.

 

If\When the Bills take a QB in the first round given the recent history of 1st round QBs it doesn't look like they'll have time to "Develop" the QB on the bench.

If you look and Rivers\Rodgers\Quinn, Thats 2\3 hits for a franchise QB, small sample but it seems like a much higher success rate. Plus Quinn actually played 1 game so keeping the Franchise QB on the bench a year while Fitzy plays looks like an even better idea.

 

This is quick and dirty so if you have any other examples of First Round QBs in the last ten years feel free to classify them as start immediately, start a portion of the games in a season or sit as a rookie.

 

Actually looking at the list a second time. There are really only three complete busts Quinn, Russell and Leinhert. Smith has been serviceable has not lived up to #1 overall draft status.

I must be missing some more first rounders. Oh yeah JP Lossman, who got to sit his rookie year

 

Accuracy is affected by the defensive personnel on the field as well as the defensive scheme being run, so although he had a very good game, what the Colts were putting on the field had an effect for sure.

 

But I absolutely love the idea of Fitz being that bridge to either Mallett or Luck. The Bills are going to need some time make sure the QB they select is ready to make the jump. JP sat most of his rookie year, but remember when they first put him in? A Sunday Night game at New England where the Bills were losing big. They threw Losman to the wolves and asked him to roll out to his right and attempt a pass--- which was picked off by Tully Banta-Cain. Definitely not ideal circumstances for a rookie to get his feet wet, and also damaging to Bledsoe as well I would imagine. Just terrible football management all around.

[oak tree 12]

...as a true contender to the QB we've all been searching for since Kelly left the stage. When you look at his stats over his last five starts (last two games in '09 and the first three in '10) you come to realize that these are not the stats of a backup player. Extrapolated over a 16 game season, these are the numbers of a top tier NFL QB. So what is there to get excited about this year? How about the prospect of Bills fans finding out their franchise QB is already here. This is not a prediction that he will be that, just that Bills fans need to see the very good work he's been doing and the prospect that he just might continue to do so...

 

Fitzpatrick's last 5 starts...

 

11 TDs / 3 interceptions

 

Average TDs per game - 2.2 (35 TDs in a 16 game season)

 

Average yards per game - 185.6 (2969 yards in a 16 game season)

 

Average QB rating - 100.66

 

 

 

As a comparison, here are Jim Kelly's 1990 Superbowl season stats (14 games)

 

Total TDs - 24

 

Total yards - 2829

 

Yards per game - 202.1

 

Rating - 101.2

 

 

Cue the haters...

 

 

you cant be serious and you obviously dont pay your hard earned dollars to attend bills games and have to watch fitz play.

 

your post is absolutly ridiculous. three other teams before us showed him the door now you want him to replace kelly as our franchise QB just ridiculous.

 

the guy @ best is a backup who should only see the field as a last resort. i cant believe you could make such comments and then expect us to take you seriously and believe you know anything about the game.

 

IMO i cant wait until fitz is gone forever so we dont have to listen to ridiculous posts like this one.

 

lastly if we are fortunate to get one of the 2 or 3 great prospects available this year there is no way in hell fitz will star over any of them. mark my words the bills will play their rookie QB and let him take his licks just like we did with jimbo.

 

name me one other team in the last 5 years who took a QB top 5 and did not start him in his rookie year.

 

you actually want us to believe that if we get Luck,Mallet or Locker that fitz would start over any of these guys really man get real.

[CardinalScotts]

Fitz deserves more love. He is playing great with the worst O Line in the league

 

based on what ?......check your self they are not the worst in the league by a long shot.

[Mango]

Rookie QB is not the answer. Draft our guy that is fine. Let him ride the bench for a few years behind Fitzy. They guy still has some game in him, but is getting older. Let him teach the kid and wear himself out. Not to mention he is more than capable of putting up some points.

 

Think of it this way...as bills fans, beggars can't be choosers

[C.Biscuit97]

Fitz should be the Bills' backup for the rest of his career. He could even start for a few games next year while a rookie gets his feet under him. I love everything about how Fitz plays and carries himself. But unfortunately, he is a very limited player.

 

It's also worth noting that if Gailey can make a guy like Fitz look as solid as he has, he should be able to do wonders with an elite college guy. It probably be a nice change for CG after working miracles with the likes of Thigpen, Fiedler, and Tomazcak.

[Dr. Fong]

I think Fitzpatrick will be a good starter for a couple years while the future QB is groomed. The Bills are going to be bad for a couple of years. They need to totally rebuild both lines, get a QB, and get some weapons on offense.

[andrewsz1991]

There's an excuse for everything regarding to Fitz. If he has the game of his career, people say he's not accurate enough he wasn't that good. Even the bests like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning throw bad passes and interceptions a couple times in the game. The only downside I see on Fitz this season is his size, in the past I've been very dissappointed with his play, but this season he's shown he can start in this league. If the defense was there we might have a shot.

[Chandemonium]

you cant be serious and you obviously dont pay your hard earned dollars to attend bills games and have to watch fitz play.

 

your post is absolutly ridiculous. three other teams before us showed him the door now you want him to replace kelly as our franchise QB just ridiculous.

 

the guy @ best is a backup who should only see the field as a last resort. i cant believe you could make such comments and then expect us to take you seriously and believe you know anything about the game.

 

IMO i cant wait until fitz is gone forever so we dont have to listen to ridiculous posts like this one.

 

lastly if we are fortunate to get one of the 2 or 3 great prospects available this year there is no way in hell fitz will star over any of them. mark my words the bills will play their rookie QB and let him take his licks just like we did with jimbo.

 

name me one other team in the last 5 years who took a QB top 5 and did not start him in his rookie year.

 

you actually want us to believe that if we get Luck,Mallet or Locker that fitz would start over any of these guys really man get real.

Kelly wasn't a rookie his first year with the Bills, at least not in the traditional fresh out of college sense. He had two seasons in the pros under his belt in the USFL, and Jimbo himself credits those two years as being key to his development. Jimbo was more game ready his "rookie" season with the Bills than he would have been fresh out of college, and who knows if he would have started if he came to the Bills as a true rookie?

Edited October 20, 2010 by Chandemonium

[1billsfan]

you cant be serious and you obviously dont pay your hard earned dollars to attend bills games and have to watch fitz play.

 

your post is absolutly ridiculous. three other teams before us showed him the door now you want him to replace kelly as our franchise QB just ridiculous.

 

the guy @ best is a backup who should only see the field as a last resort. i cant believe you could make such comments and then expect us to take you seriously and believe you know anything about the game.

 

IMO i cant wait until fitz is gone forever so we dont have to listen to ridiculous posts like this one.

 

lastly if we are fortunate to get one of the 2 or 3 great prospects available this year there is no way in hell fitz will star over any of them. mark my words the bills will play their rookie QB and let him take his licks just like we did with jimbo.

 

name me one other team in the last 5 years who took a QB top 5 and did not start him in his rookie year.

 

you actually want us to believe that if we get Luck,Mallet or Locker that fitz would start over any of these guys really man get real.

 

 

This one is too funny right about now!

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

This one is too funny right about now!

 

 

First 300+ yard performance....IN 60 GAMES AGAINST THE #3 D IN THE LEAGUE. dude is a gamer. Is he Joe montana? No, but he outplayed Joe Flacco today.

[1billsfan]

First 300+ yard performance....IN 60 GAMES AGAINST THE #3 D IN THE LEAGUE. dude is a gamer. Is he Joe montana? No, but he outplayed Joe Flacco today.

 

 

It's obvious that Fitzpatrick knows that not only is he a starter in this league, but a darn good one. He clearly has the look of a guy that has the game and confidence to begin making his mark on the NFL and shutting up all of the doubters in the process.

[Nervous Guy]

It's obvious that Fitzpatrick knows that not only is he a starter in this league, but a darn good one. He clearly has the look of a guy that has the game and confidence to begin making his mark on the NFL and shutting up all of the doubters in the process.

:worthy:

[lets_go_bills]

Fitz is not a starter but he's a fantastic backup.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

First 300+ yard performance....IN 60 GAMES AGAINST THE #3 D IN THE LEAGUE. dude is a gamer. Is he Joe montana? No, but he outplayed Joe Flacco today.

 

 

He fired some absolute rockets deep down the field into tiny spaces. I completely misjudged this guy and he seems to be getting better with each game. He also took the team on his back to tie the game (something I'd not seen him do yet).

 

He might be more than a career back up after all.