RealityCheck Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Totally 100% agree...I just don't know what some Bills Fans are seeing out there anymore...Personally I think it's simply the fact that Fitz was so much better last year than JP or Trent had been, Bills Fans forgot what it was like to see decent QB play...But if they think this Team can be a Championship Team with Fitz at QB they've completely lost their minds...Being better than Trent and JP still means next to nothing in the grand scheme of things...Championship QB's have to be SO much better than what Fitz showed last Season...And if Gailey and Nix think Fitz is the answer even with a decent Defense, mark my words, it will cost them their jobs long term... As much as I would like to believe differently, no way is Ryan Fitzpatrick a Championship caliber QB...Just no way in hell...And like you I'm shocked so many Bills Fans think it's a real possibility...Just shocked to be honest... Bills fans have lowered their expectations so much that doing OK equals "he should be a pro bowler".
CodeMonkey Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Bills fans have lowered their expectations so much that doing OK equals "he should be a pro bowler". I think it's more a combination of excitement for the upcoming season, a strong dose of koolaid, and the belief that Nix and company won't waste this years first pick. No harm really, they just want to Billieve really bad.
BillsPhan Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Good job adding in the third choice. It has been proven that almost any starting QB can win a SB with a team that has a dominating defense. It would also help if that team has a dominating running game too. "Hall of Nothing" members such as Jeff Hostetler, Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer have won SB's with teams that featured great to awesome defenses, and certainly Fitzy could join that meager group if Nix and Wanny could put together such a defense here over the next couple of seasons.
KOKBILLS Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Bills fans have lowered their expectations so much that doing OK equals "he should be a pro bowler". I really don't mind Gailey as a HC...But I also don't think it helps much when your Head Coach is out there making stupid statements like "We can go to the Playoffs with Fitz as a QB," or "We can win a Championship with Fitz as a QB." After a 4-12 Season that saw Fitz go 4-9 as a Starter?...Those 4 Wins coming vs. Teams with a combined 22-42 Record in 2010... I'm not sure why the heck Gailey has to go out on that limb in the Press...Talk about giving false hope...lol...There HAS to be a reason for it though...Maybe to keep hope if their guy gets Drafted and they decide not to go QB in the 1st few Rounds??? I don't know...But Bills Fans should be smart enough to sift through the Draft time rhetoric and understand that just because Gailey is saying it certainly does not make it so...Did Gailey not also praise and back Edwards till he simply could not do it anymore? Exactly...
NewEra Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 73% (so far) think Fitz can win a super bowl. Not just make us a legitimate team, but win a SB. I wonder if that's because there aren't any obvious better options in the draft. If we were picking 1st and Andrew Luck was in the draft, I bet that % would be drastically lower. Just my opinion. Stunning.
Alphadawg7 Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 I really don't mind Gailey as a HC...But I also don't think it helps much when your Head Coach is out there making stupid statements like "We can go to the Playoffs with Fitz as a QB," or "We can win a Championship with Fitz as a QB." After a 4-12 Season that saw Fitz go 4-9 as a Starter?...Those 4 Wins coming vs. Teams with a combined 22-42 Record in 2010... I'm not sure why the heck Gailey has to go out on that limb in the Press...Talk about giving false hope...lol...There HAS to be a reason for it though...Maybe to keep hope if their guy gets Drafted and they decide not to go QB in the 1st few Rounds??? I don't know...But Bills Fans should be smart enough to sift through the Draft time rhetoric and understand that just because Gailey is saying it certainly does not make it so...Did Gailey not also praise and back Edwards till he simply could not do it anymore? Exactly... Well, you have to understand that Fitz is still our QB as we have not acquired another one yet, plus if we do draft one they are going to sit for a while behind Fitz. So for the sake of the team and Fitz, they still need to show public endorsement of him considering he is almost certainly going to begin the next season as the starter. So, it's no surprise that they say those things despite saying other things that clearly show they don't see Fitz as good enough to shape this team around as the permanent starter.
NewEra Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Well, you have to understand that Fitz is still our QB as we have not acquired another one yet, plus if we do draft one they are going to sit for a while behind Fitz. So for the sake of the team and Fitz, they still need to show public endorsement of him considering he is almost certainly going to begin the next season as the starter. So, it's no surprise that they say those things despite saying other things that clearly show they don't see Fitz as good enough to shape this team around as the permanent starter. No doubt
Alphadawg7 Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) 73% (so far) think Fitz can win a super bowl. Not just make us a legitimate team, but win a SB. I wonder if that's because there aren't any obvious better options in the draft. If we were picking 1st and Andrew Luck was in the draft, I bet that % would be drastically lower. Just my opinion. Stunning. I will tell you the reason I think is behind it...one thing I have realized over the years of being on this board is that a lot of posters on here who have no idea what a good QB is, looks like, or how to evaluate one. In some cases, they are just complete homers, but I think more often than not it's the organizations fault for trotting out such a putrid product since Jimbo left. So, anyone under 30 either caught the last few seasons of Jimbo then had this crap or just flat out grew up on this crap. Others have been so long without a good QB that they forgot what a good one really looks like. I have watched the majority here argue how good JP was, or still is, how good Trent was, and now how good Fitz is...yet none of those QB's have had a successful season and neither have the Bills under their leadership. Heck, we have been one of the worst offenses in the league statistically under these guys. Just because Trent seemed better than JP (which is debatable now as they both suck in so many ways) they thought Trent was better than he was and many said he could win us a SB and how much better teams like the Jets would be with him rather than Sanchize. Now because Fitz is clearly better than Trent they think he can win us a SB based on the sub par season he had (and ironically talk about how much better the Jets would be with him rather than Sanchize). And just like with JP and then Trent, they make every excuse in the book for Fitz to validate all the flaws in his game this year even though they are the same flaws he has struggled with everywhere he has played since he came in the league. They shout about his TD total, yet make excuses for the fact he was in the bottom half of the league in just about every other important QB category. So every time something looks better than the last they think the problem is solved and the guy could lead us to a SB (remember, there were all kinds of these polls on Trent too and almost all of them had similar results the majority of the time he was here). But not one person in their right mind that knows anything about football could legitimately argue that GB still beats Pitt (or even gets into the playoffs to begin with) with Fitz instead of Rodgers...no one can legitimately argue that Pitt would have changed the outcome and won the SB with Fitz instead of Big Ben or that they even make it there. So here is a simple answer to the question: NO he isnt good enough. He would NOT have won leading GB this year who, if I am not mistaken, had the #1 D in the league, and he would NOT have won this year leading Pitt which had I think the #2 (or at least top 5) D in the league...so how anyone can say he can with a great D is beyond me as he wouldn't have likely done it this year playing for either of the two SB teams who were loaded top to bottom on both sides of the ball. Edited April 17, 2011 by Alphadawg7
KOKBILLS Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Well, you have to understand that Fitz is still our QB as we have not acquired another one yet, plus if we do draft one they are going to sit for a while behind Fitz. So for the sake of the team and Fitz, they still need to show public endorsement of him considering he is almost certainly going to begin the next season as the starter. So, it's no surprise that they say those things despite saying other things that clearly show they don't see Fitz as good enough to shape this team around as the permanent starter. Fair enough... I guess I'd rather here the normal "Fitz is our QB right now," instead of this Playoff and Championship garbage...It's too much for me to stomach I guess...
yungmack Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 I think we can. I don't think the defense has to be dominating. I think they have to be much better, but they do not have to be the 2000 Ravens (or was it 2001?). I think that Fitzpatrick will be everything we could get out of any other QB with a FULL Training Camp and Preseason as the Number 1 guy. I've watched all the tape from this past season, and I think that he just has "it." I understand that he does't have the physical tools that Peyton and Brady have, but thats alright. He has plenty of tools that will lead him to success in this league. He has a more than adequate arm, his footwork is excellent, his leadership skills are tremendous, and he makes players around him better. David Nelson had an excellent season, so did Stevie Johnson because of Fitz. The team just seemed to play harder when he came in from week 3 forward. There is so much to be said for having a full season and then a full TC under your belt before taking the field in the opening weekend. The timing and chemistry between yourself and every player, not just the WRs, is so much better and more fluid. The guys will begin to see the same things that Fitz sees and will anticipate his checks at the LOS, they'll be able to be one additional step ahead because they'll have seen it and thought about it before he makes the call, instead of reacting to the call when its made. I like Fitz. I think he is more than capable of taking this team places. I am excited to him lead the Bills, I hope for the next 5-7 years. I fully agree with your assessment. I would add that an improvement in the defense will mean the opponent's offense spends less time on the field and scores fewer points, giving the Bills offense more time on the field and the chance to score more points. It's pretty much Fottball 10 but that change alone should dramatically raise the number of wins and competitive losses and lead to "experts" at ESPN and the NFL network being "amazed" by the "improvement" in Fitz. Of course, it will be the same Fitz of last year, just with more scoring opportunities for the Bills and less for the opponents. But the "experts" will be shocked none the less.
Captain Hindsight Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 23 TDs in 13 games with a bunch of undrafted recivers and no defense to get him the ball back? Taking Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Chicago (all playoff teams) to the wire? 500 yards of offense against Baltimore? He can play and I'm happy Hes our QB
KOKBILLS Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 He can play and I'm happy Hes our QB For 2011 I would tend to agree... But we'll see how you feel about Fitz in a few years if The Bills put their future in his hands...I doubt they'll do that anyway...But if so we'll see...
Captain Hindsight Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 For 2011 I would tend to agree... But we'll see how you feel about Fitz in a few years if The Bills put their future in his hands...I doubt they'll do that anyway...But if so we'll see... I was one of the people that was excited we signed Fitzy a few years ago. He can play and has never had the chance to be the guy, but hes got the ability, smarts and guts to do it
CodeMonkey Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 I was one of the people that was excited we signed Fitzy a few years ago. He can play and has never had the chance to be the guy, but hes got the ability, smarts and guts to do it The smarts and the guts for sure anyway. I doubt anyone here would argue against that.
Bangarang Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 These poll results disturb me. People are operating under the assumption that Fitz will only get better next year. Nobody is talking about him regressing back to the mean and stinking it up like he always has.
3rdand12 Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 These poll results disturb me. People are operating under the assumption that Fitz will only get better next year. Nobody is talking about him regressing back to the mean and stinking it up like he always has. When exactly was that? Although regressing and stinking is an honest possibility ( and i am a big fan) Fitz is no elite qb that is for sure and i would never compare him to a peyton. Its never gonna happen. I was just thinking how many years have gone by with us saying " if we had a solid offensive line... Edwards JP etc. they would play much better. That is a bad trend for Buffalo. Of course there is much more to having a succesful offense and team. We have to draft a qb this year because we have no # 2. Sorry Levi! It would be best if we had a chance at Luck but that is very unlikely. Without FA we are in a bind at a couple positions so i hope we find a good one in the draft. i am not sold on Blaine or Cam. But i am not the one doing due diligence either, i will leave that to the fellows up front. Thing is if this year is anything like last year there is a high percentage of Fitzy will get banged up hard and early. So we gotta do something. For those that think Cam or Blaine is The guy well we just might find out. Should be fun and cannot wait for draft day!
NoSaint Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 being around a championship team is such a special thing to watch -- it takes a lot. im not going to say that fitz cant but it will take a heck of a run. i would have to liken it to the giants run when i picture it. a lot of things hitting at just the right moment, and the team around him being on point. I dont doubt fitz can lead a team to a 9-10 win season, and once your in the playoffs, there is a lot of luck with matchups, injuries, bounce of the ball, calls from officials. once you get in, anything can happen. all that said, if this regime stacks the team for the next two years, and our talent level at the other 21 positions matches the patriots, indy, saints, etc.... do we wish we had a better qb going into the playoffs? i think yes, we do wish that position was improved. whether or not we had the right chance is an entirely different debate.
JESSEFEFFER Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Ryan Fitzpatrick was objectively better than Sanchez and Cutler last year (two of the "final four" QBs.) This is without much help from the defense, playing behind one of the most inexperienced offensive lines (being pressured on over 20% of dropbacks,) and not having had the benefit of the majority of training camp reps. He obviously had problems in cruchtime, ala Jim Kelly in 1986, but I, for one, think he will be even better in 2011. Edited April 17, 2011 by JESSEFEFFER
NewEra Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 You guys keep telling yourself that Fitz is a super bowl QB.
BiggieScooby Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 I voted he can do it without a world-beater defense. I think a good defense that can stop the run & a dominating run game is all he'd need. Fred & CJ need to produce which will allow Fitz to flourish. Also acquiring a TE who is competent would help, especially for 3rd down conversions.
Recommended Posts