Fitzpatrick and the 3-4 D

[TPS]

Nice article in the B-News today about Capers and LeBeau and the development of the 3-4 defense when they were together in Pittsburgh in '92. Towards the end of the article you'll find this quote by Lebeau:

"Any maneuver you can implement that keeps a QB [from getting] a dead read on you is what you're looking for...You've got to at least level the playing field enough that they have to gather information after the snap or at least as close to the snap as you can keep it. If they know before, you don't have much chance."

 

This is one of Fitz's strengths, reading and reacting. A big strong-armed QB can only get you so far if he doesn't have the smarts or experience to read where the blitz is coming AND quickly go through his progressions. It's extremely rare to find a QB who has it all. Fitz has yet to play a full season as the starter. While he has some weaknesses, he has the smarts to take the Bills to playoffs. I expect to see the offense take another leap forward in the second year of the Fitz/Chan (Chitz?) era. Build the defense in the off-season (put the 3-4 pieces in place) and the Bills could find a playoff spot next year.

[Mr_Blizzard]

Nice article in the B-News today about Capers and LeBeau and the development of the 3-4 defense when they were together in Pittsburgh in '92. Towards the end of the article you'll find this quote by Lebeau:

"Any maneuver you can implement that keeps a QB [from getting] a dead read on you is what you're looking for...You've got to at least level the playing field enough that they have to gather information after the snap or at least as close to the snap as you can keep it. If they know before, you don't have much chance."

 

This is one of Fitz's strengths, reading and reacting. A big strong-armed QB can only get you so far if he doesn't have the smarts or experience to read where the blitz is coming AND quickly go through his progressions. It's extremely rare to find a QB who has it all. Fitz has yet to play a full season as the starter. While he has some weaknesses, he has the smarts to take the Bills to playoffs. I expect to see the offense take another leap forward in the second year of the Fitz/Chan (Chitz?) era. Build the defense in the off-season (put the 3-4 pieces in place) and the Bills could find a playoff spot next year.

 

I think we're 2 years away from the playoffs (would love to be wrong about that) because we are in the same division as the jets and pats. I do see Fitz having a better year in 2011 assuming we start running the ball 90 - 100 yds per game, and we get a right tackle.

[Bangarang]

Fitz is smart. However, countless times I have seen lock on to his receiver. His decision making is also a big concern due to him being a pseudo gun slinger. I love the way he's a competitor and how he can help keep us in games. However, I just don't see us getting far with him at QB. Not without a top defense, that is.

[NoSaint]

Nice article in the B-News today about Capers and LeBeau and the development of the 3-4 defense when they were together in Pittsburgh in '92. Towards the end of the article you'll find this quote by Lebeau:

"Any maneuver you can implement that keeps a QB [from getting] a dead read on you is what you're looking for...You've got to at least level the playing field enough that they have to gather information after the snap or at least as close to the snap as you can keep it. If they know before, you don't have much chance."

 

This is one of Fitz's strengths, reading and reacting. A big strong-armed QB can only get you so far if he doesn't have the smarts or experience to read where the blitz is coming AND quickly go through his progressions. It's extremely rare to find a QB who has it all. Fitz has yet to play a full season as the starter. While he has some weaknesses, he has the smarts to take the Bills to playoffs. I expect to see the offense take another leap forward in the second year of the Fitz/Chan (Chitz?) era. Build the defense in the off-season (put the 3-4 pieces in place) and the Bills could find a playoff spot next year.

 

 

Knowing where to throw the ball is only part of the puzzle - you need the arm to get it there quickly and accurately. Fitz is a bottom third starter, and his harvard degree doesn't mean he's outsmarting lebeau. I like him, but much more as a mentor and backup once we find someone that can be top third. I think guys like Brady manning brees Rodgers rivers and big ben do just as well or better reading defenses but have the arms to back it up. We shouldn't settle for less.

[Ray]

Fitz is NOT a bottom third QB. He is on the top third of QBs, at least by his performance this year. He was a better QB than Mark Sanchez this year. In regards to the topic you are completely correct. One of the things he does as well as any QB in the league is identify coverages, understands protection schemes and that is invaluable in a QB. His teammates and coaches noted this all the time and credited him for recognizing what the other teams were doing, changed protection schemes and gave the Bills a chance. He can be inconcsistent but he would be a QB upgrade on over half the teams in the league!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Fitz is NOT a bottom third QB. He is on the top third of QBs, at least by his performance this year.

 

He's not, actually. And I'm a big Fitzy fan, think he has more potential and more arm than he's typically given credit for, but facts are facts.

Bottom third no matter how you slice it. 20-22 out of 32

 

He was a better QB than Mark Sanchez this year.

 

This part is true. Better than 2 QB in the playoffs, statistically better than 2 highly-touted draft picks, and within a hair of a bunch of guys regarded as "franchise QB" including the #1 overall choice the year he was picked in the 7th - guys like Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell.

 

"QB upgrade on over half the teams in the league", no. Where is Fitz? He's in a place where a lot of late-round QB start to develop, after about 2 full seasons of games played.

He's playing under tough circs, with a patchwork line, no TE, and very young WR. I think he has the potential to BECOME a guy who would be a QB upgrade on over half the teams in the league, but no, not there yet and according to some, can never be. Time will tell.

[Captain Hindsight]

Fitz is an average NFL Starter. We could do alot worse (and have lately)

 

Until we have that better Player Fitz is my quarterback and im going to support him and his Harvard Degree!

 

 

HARVARD FOOTBALL!!!

[DanInUticaTampa]

Fitz is an average NFL Starter. We could do alot worse (and have lately)

 

Until we have that better Player Fitz is my quarterback and im going to support him and his Harvard Degree!

 

 

HARVARD FOOTBALL!!!

 

Pretty much my feeling. Better than most QBs we have had and he is average. But until we get someone better, he has my support.

 

And like someone said, he will have a better year if we can get a RT and run the ball more effectivly. That will help limit his mistakes and we won't need the gunslinger nonesense.

 

Then, of course, we have a defense that can even make a bills fan (who should be numb to such bad talent) cringe. it will be awhile before we can really compete with new england. As far as the jests go, it is going to depend on how many players they keep. I am thinking they are going to lose quite a bit of talent and we might be able to at least put up a fight with them next season.

Edited February 3, 2011 by DanInUticaTampa

[NoSaint]

Fitz is an average NFL Starter. We could do alot worse (and have lately)

 

Until we have that better Player Fitz is my quarterback and im going to support him and his Harvard Degree!

 

 

HARVARD FOOTBALL!!!

 

I definitely think he is valuable to this team, and likely our best option this year. I just don't like how easy it is to rattle off 10-15 names you couldn't even begin to argue he is better then. I'll go as far as to ask the one poster which of the 8-10 guys I named that he reads a defense better then, as that is his strength. They all have better stronger arms, better accuracy, and read defenses better.

 

Granted he is a better option then a handful of guys, I'd in a heartbeat trade our qb group for about 20 others without question. We are debating his ability as compared to Orton, Campbell, garrard etc.... Not any of the guys I named and could go on to add Freeman, Ryan, cutler, Eli, Vick, cassel, flacco and round out the top half without seeing anyone we could discuss him as an upgrade over. Romo? Bradford? I'd take either over fitz. Even Palmer I'd take in a straight up trade. I feel comfortable saying that Sanchez will have a better career (keep in mind he's very young - coming out early with... 10? Starts in college).

 

I think he can lead us to 9-10 wins with a good team and some bounces coming our way. I like if we draft a qb, that there is no pressure to rush him.

 

We are in better shape then teams like Arizona, Carolina, and San Fran. Not a fan of henne. Hassleback is getting pretty far gone. That leaves us in that meaty area of TJack, garrard, orton, Campbell, stafford (can he stay healthy), mcnabb (both could give you 2 years of 58% completions football while looking for the future) if you want to get to a starting point to rank him objectively.

 

That said, we could do much worse.

Edited February 3, 2011 by NoSaint

[Beebe's Kid]

Green Bay and Pittsburgh are the NFL's two top rated defenses...It sure is easy to be a "Franchise QB" with a dominating D, especially if they force turnovers.

 

If we improve our D, the tune will change concerning what people "know" about Fitz.

 

You can't teach intelligence, and the post about him staring down receivers is bull ****. He is going to make average to below average receivers a lot of money in this league. Harvard is constantly talked about, but this guys intelligence is not even in the same league as most guys in the NFL...if you give him another year, he will make many believers.

[NoSaint]

Green Bay and Pittsburgh are the NFL's two top rated defenses...It sure is easy to be a "Franchise QB" with a dominating D, especially if they force turnovers.

 

If we improve our D, the tune will change concerning what people "know" about Fitz.

 

You can't teach intelligence, and the post about him staring down receivers is bull ****. He is going to make average to below average receivers a lot of money in this league. Harvard is constantly talked about, but this guys intelligence is not even in the same league as most guys in the NFL...if you give him another year, he will make many believers.

 

Are we arguing that fitz ben and Rodgers are in the same discussion if not for the D? Would you even think twice about trading fitz, AND a high pick for either of those guys?

 

You could argue the counter that a great qb would help our d- not playing on a short field, playing with a lead etc.... The two sides feed off each other for sure, but much like our D, our qb position is undermanned if we want to be contenders.

[Swift Sylvan]

We are asking is Fitz good enough to win games for us?

 

This is tough because based on what our D is capable of what one asks Fitz to do versus what Eli Manning has to do with his D are different.

 

I mean let's pretend quarterbacks are cooks. Obviously Peyton, Brady, etc...are better cooks, but they are being asked to do different things on different time constraints. We're comparing Fitz to other quarterbacks, but what they are asked to do isn't even. Part of that is Fitz fault, but the majority isn't. Maybe he has worse ingredients, maybe he has less time, it just seems sort of arbitrary to argue how good of a QB Fitz is when the team as a whole is in need of some serious upgrade. The only thing we can really be certain of is that Fitz is much better than Brohm, Brown, and Trent #&($(% Edwards.

[frogger]

For what he did in his first year in this offense I can only think he'll have a great second year. Give him a TE and a defense that gives him the ball more often and a pro bowl could be in his future. Drew brees doesn't have a big arm, but he is dominating, it can be done.

[NoSaint]

For what he did in his first year in this offense I can only think he'll have a great second year. Give him a TE and a defense that gives him the ball more often and a pro bowl could be in his future. Drew brees doesn't have a big arm, but he is dominating, it can be done.

 

Drew is one of the best downfield throwers in the league when healthy. I guess, other then because he's our guy, I don't see why people think he's going to jump into that top ten grouping. I think people forget just how many really good qbs are in this league. Could he move from that 20-25 range down into the 15-20 range? Certainly but I just don't see how he could ever make it into the top ten talks. The guys are just as smart and much more athletically gifted. There's a reason drew went 32 and fitz went 230 something. His arm is much better

 

Peyton

Brady

Brees

Rodgers

Big ben

Rivers

Matt Ryan

Schaub

Vick

 

Being a top quarter-third that I dont think he fits in, even on his best days.

 

Then there are guys like flacco, romo, Eli - all much more proven, but I could foresee fitz fans saying that they have warts too. If they fall off and fitz jumps up it's possible one of them could be behind fitz but I'd still take any of them straight up and even send some extra if a trade was there. No?

 

Then young guys like Freeman and Bradford. Can't say they are top 10 yet, but they look like they are moving up the list much faster then fitz, and neither is on a great team.

 

Do you think fitz is the only qb behind a bad line? Cause I've seen ben take a heck of a beating even from our awful front 7. Just one example.

[HARCO186]

Nice article in the B-News today about Capers and LeBeau and the development of the 3-4 defense when they were together in Pittsburgh in '92. Towards the end of the article you'll find this quote by Lebeau:

"Any maneuver you can implement that keeps a QB [from getting] a dead read on you is what you're looking for...You've got to at least level the playing field enough that they have to gather information after the snap or at least as close to the snap as you can keep it. If they know before, you don't have much chance."

 

This is one of Fitz's strengths, reading and reacting. A big strong-armed QB can only get you so far if he doesn't have the smarts or experience to read where the blitz is coming AND quickly go through his progressions. It's extremely rare to find a QB who has it all. Fitz has yet to play a full season as the starter. While he has some weaknesses, he has the smarts to take the Bills to playoffs. I expect to see the offense take another leap forward in the second year of the Fitz/Chan (Chitz?) era. Build the defense in the off-season (put the 3-4 pieces in place) and the Bills could find a playoff spot next year.

 

I think they will keep Fitz because he proved to be right and had good numbers with a shaky offensive line and a new coach and system. I also feel Buffalo will take AJ Green as the 1st pick. If you really look at it, Fitz doesn't really throw the ball to Lee. It's not their fault, but Lee has had way too many new qbs and I feel that Fitz doesn't have the chemistry with Lee. The Bills will have Easly, Johnson, Parish, Green, Spiller and Jackson to throw to. That will be a very impressive offense, and Fitz can read a defense like you said. The new assistant head coach will ask for a year to get his players in place so Buffalo picks a stellar WR for Fitz to work with. I agree, Bufflo will keep Fitz and in year two will get the defense they need.