Hater Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Who has a brighter future the next 10 years, the Panthers or the Bills? Why? Cam Newton. I agree without a franchise QB your not going to win in the NFL, if we don't try & get RG3 are only hope is we pick one next year to get Matt Barkley because otherwise its going to 5-11, 6-10 for the next 10 years
BigBuff423 Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Fitz was not the reason this team finished 6-10; he was one component as part of the overall problem....the most significant reason this team finished in such a pathetic way, was the Defense....Fitz did not help matters during the stretch of games when he was throwing INT after INT, but the Defense was the principle reason for this team's failure and ultimate collapse. I no longer support Fitz as being the long-term answer, but I do want to throw a Rookie QB into the lion's den next year either....I would keep Fitz working behind the O-Line while they continue to improve, and let a Rookie QB, or Levi Brown or someone else, learn the Offense next year and let Fitz do his best while this Defense and skill positions on Offense also get better and then let the real QB of the future come in and take over....and let the chips fall where they may
Mark Vader Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 OK...Fitzty started out hot the first four games with a QB rating over 100 which, by season's end had plumeted to under 80. Why? Does he just flat out suck? Maybe? Maybe not! I won't try and BS anyone that Fitzy is franchise QB. He aint. But, his defense ain't worth a piece of pig turd. Not only that, from opening day to the end of the season, the offense lost 6 of 11 starters plus Roscoe Parish. What QB survives that? Especially in his first full season as a starter? So, he puts the team on his shoulders, and in doing so tries to do too much. Throws 23 picks... not all of which were his fault. And the 23 sacks allowed. That was more a credit to Fitzy getting rid of the ball quickly than it was the offensive line. Hell with a patchwork Oline, he was still making them look better than they really were. So, why is anyone calling for his head? If the Bills offense were playing with a full deck most of the season, would you still be calling for his head? I doubt it, because the Bills would have been a wild card team despite the defense. The offense did not let this team down, nor did Fitzy. The defense was the problem, and has been the problem for several years. Even with McGee, Kyle Williams, and Merriman in the lineup, the Bills never ranked higher than 28th. So, why do we have fans calling for the Bills to draft a QB with the 10th pick? How many brain cells does one have to lose to come up with a gem like that. Do they think RGIII is the second coming of Cam Newton? Well, whooptie doo if he is. Last I checked Cam Newton and the Panthers were 6-10. What, no miracles from Cam? How come the 7th ranked QB with a defense ranked only two notches below the Bills didn't get his team to the playoffs? So, Cam had better numbers than Fitz. Did he lose 7 key players on his offense in doing so? No. Did he win more games than Fitz? No. Then, with those fanslogic, the Panthers should draft a QB with their first pick. Yep... Bring Rogers, Roethlisberger, Brees, or whomever you want to be the Bills QB. This team still aint going to the playoffs with the 26th ranked defense and an offense as ravaged by injuries as the Bills were this season. But, let's still blame 6-10 on Fitzy. Brilliant, just brilliant. As per your points that I highlighted: I personally do not think Fitz sucks. I like him and think he's a solid QB. In fact had it not been for the injuries on both sides of the ball, the Bills chances of making the playoffs were very real. But that's how it goes. I disagree with you about the O-Line. They did a great job of protecting Fitz and opening holes for the run game. Fitz did not make them look better than they were. I agree that the offense did not let the team down, but rather the play calling was more of a problem. I think Gailey asked Fitzpatrick to do a lot more than he should have and did not run the ball enough. This was a big problem. I do not think the Bills have to spend the 10th pick on a QB, but I do understand getting a QB for the future. Fitz is a good solid QB, and I think he can get the Bills to the playoffs. To the Super Bowl? I don't know. Again, is it that FItz is just an above average QB, or is it the play calling? Drafting a QB to groom and get ready for the future is not a bad move. It isn't fair to put all the blame on Fitz as you stated. Even without the injuries our defense was still giving up plenty of yards and points. My concerns with Fitz is that he is not very good on throwing the deep ball, he throws into tight coverage a lot more than he should, and he had a lot of batted down passes this year. I haven't seen so many batted balls since Flutie was our QB. I still like Fitz and I support him, and hope he can bring us back to the playoffs. Still I would understand if the Bills drafted a QB for the future.
Nanker Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Fitz is the best QB The Bills have had since Frank Reich. And don't even try to bring up Drew Bledsomuchhisbrainwentnumb. The Bills were 8-8, 6-10, and 9-7 during his 3 years in the Blue, White, and Red. That's not winning anything in this league either. That said, Frank was a hell of a backup. Starter - not so much.
Gray Beard Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Thigen has nothing to offer, and Brad Smith isn't really a quarterback. They can afford to get two new guys as back-ups to see if they find the right guy. I would draft one in a middle round, bring in a FA, bring in a UDFA or two, and let them all show what they can do in camp and pre-season. Keep the best two and get them some playing time whenever the Bills are either way ahead or way behind.
PromoTheRobot Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 It's hard to judge a game watching it live from the nosebleeds, so I finally sat down to see the TV replay. I think Fitz played rock solid in the first half as far as his timing and underneath patterns go. But there is no question he has a hard time with certain throws. The end zone corner fade, for one. He also tried to hit Derek Hagen along the sideline with 5 seconds lift in the half. If he throws that 3 yards further it's a TD. I'll let you know what I think of the 2nd half. PTR
Ozymandius Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 And if Cam Newton gets injured? They are sunk. You have better fortunes when you build a team than hoping for a savior at QB, not the other way around. See: Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Ravens, even the Pats. They are all teams that have changed QBs or dealt with QB injuries / suspensions and still found sustained success. They are well-run franchises that have good depth and deal well despite sustained injuries. I wasn't aware NFL rules disallow the Panthers from improving at other positions. Face it, every GM in the league would take Carolina's roster over Buffalo's. And we all know why.
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 OK...Fitzty started out hot the first four games with a QB rating over 100 which, by season's end had plumeted to under 80. Why? Does he just flat out suck? Maybe? Maybe not! I won't try and BS anyone that Fitzy is franchise QB. He aint. But, his defense ain't worth a piece of pig turd. Not only that, from opening day to the end of the season, the offense lost 6 of 11 starters plus Roscoe Parish. What QB survives that? Especially in his first full season as a starter? So, he puts the team on his shoulders, and in doing so tries to do too much. Throws 23 picks... not all of which were his fault. And the 23 sacks allowed. That was more a credit to Fitzy getting rid of the ball quickly than it was the offensive line. Hell with a patchwork Oline, he was still making them look better than they really were. So, why is anyone calling for his head? If the Bills offense were playing with a full deck most of the season, would you still be calling for his head? I doubt it, because the Bills would have been a wild card team despite the defense. Trying for a serious, thoughtful response here. 1. Human psychology is such that it's easier to remember mistakes than good points - "one awshit wipes out 10 attaboys". So for some reason, when Fitz plays badly, people forget that he has shown himself capable of quality play, accurate needle-threading throws, longer completions, low error rate. And they start generalizing: "noodle arm" "just can't be accurate" "can't play QB in the NFL" instead of asking questions about the reasons Fitz looked good at point A and so horrid at point B. 2. I see the Bills slide as a trifecta: a. crappy D that can't get stops, from the start of the season b. questionable play calling on O (and/or offensive philosophy) that favors the pass, especially in down-and-distance situations which would seem to favor the run and when the QB is obviously struggling with accuracy and with WR injuries. Overreliance on empty backfield, 5 WR sets that allow the defense to key on the pass. This tends to result in a lot of 3-and-outs and a lot of opportunity for opponents to march down the field. c. a league-leading number of interceptions, many at points where we were behind, but not insurmountably so. These tended to result in an insurmountable lead due to factor a., above Fitz is, no question, responsible for c. above. Whatever the reasons are, it's on him to study the film, review his thought process, and try to figure out why he's throwing a league-leading number of picks. Then change it. "Don't be sorry, Gabrielle...just...IMPROVE." However, Fitz can be assigned responsibility for b. and to some extent for a. - we don't know how much he audibles into unsuccessful plays, and when the O goes 3 and out or he throws picks, it puts more pressure on the D. I don't think that's entirely fair - football is a team sport, I think Gailey has his finger on the play calling, and the D sucks sufficiently all on its own, if they didn't, they'd get more stops and the INTs wouldn't matter so much. 3. There is a currently popular philosophy that having an elite QB who can truly carry a team, a Peyton Manning, a Drew Brees, an Aaron Rodgers - is the only sure path to peace, enlightenment, and Super Bowl Championships - defense doesn't matter too much. I think we all agree Fitz is not an elite QB. It follows (using the logic above) that if our goal is to win a Super Bowl Championship, Fitz must be tossed on the trash and replaced by Magical Franchise QB who will single-handedly cause our Bills to become winners. It's a short step to concluding "we can never win with a QB like Fitz", though this begs the question how the 'niners and Texans are managing it, and arguably the Ravens. I understand the logic. I consider this a hypothesis testable by this year's playoffs. I even offer to purchase a helping of Crow. If the SB is NE vs GB, I will consume said crow publically on TBD. If the SB involves the Ravens, Bengals, Texans, or Niners and one of the four of them win, I will offer the crow to the appropriate parties, you know who you are. I consider this a generous offer since in terms of points, NE and GB actually have mid-third mediocre defenses, not the total defensive suckage with which we're currently afflicted. So at a minimum, we must acquire competent defense before we can win with any QB. 4. This is more subtle. I think people underestimate the impact of WR and the OL on QB play. There's a reason Sam Bradford and Josh Freeman looked like sh*t this year, and it's not because neither of them can QB NFL football. But if the QB is still standing when a WR appears open, people figure it's on the QB. But that's JMO and others can and will disagree. Cheers!
BobbyC81 Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 The current owner is an abject failure. It still amazes me that Ralph is in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame.
PromoTheRobot Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 It still amazes me that Ralph is in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame. Read about Ralph's history in the AFL. There isn't a single team owner in the HOF for being a great team owner. PTR
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I disagree with you about the O-Line. They did a great job of protecting Fitz and opening holes for the run game. Fitz did not make them look better than they were. The OL this year was much better than last year, esp. when healthy. When injuries mounted up, can there be a question that the quality slipped at times? Two glaring examples would be the Mia game with Levitre mistakenly at center. Hairston at LT, sorry but he let some nasty ones turnstile by him a couple times yesterday, and I saw Fitz throwing with Hairston gamely engaged, but being pushed rapidly towards Fitz on a number of plays. I think the difference between "enough time" and a "rushed throw" can be subtle, but I can tell it when I see it - and I'm not talking about the kind of manicure-perfecting, sandwich-ordering time Brady got yesterday. I agree that the offense did not let the team down, but rather the play calling was more of a problem. I think Gailey asked Fitzpatrick to do a lot more than he should have and did not run the ball enough. This was a big problem. This, no question in my mind. We were calling a pass-heavy offense suitable for an elite QB and a deep WR corps, without an elite QB on the roster and only one quality WR. I do not think the Bills have to spend the 10th pick on a QB, but I do understand getting a QB for the future. I'll go one further. If the Bills see a QB they truly believe is BPA and a top guy available at #10, they should take him. But we have too many gaps and needs to make it worthwhile to trade up for a QB. It would, in my view, set us back too far. The QB is an important piece, but far from the only needed piece for a Superbowl team - or else St Louis would not be in the position of being courted for their #2 draft pick. In a similar vein, if the Bills like a QB in FA they can sign at a price that will still allow other needed signings, or that they can trade for reasonably, they should do so. I just don't want to see an Oakland-for-Palmer type trade. IMO that was stupid of Oakland and likely set them back too far, while not getting them what they wanted (playoffs this year).
Best Player Available Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 He also finished 18th in the new QBR Rankings...Just behind Matt Moore and one spot ahead of Kyle Orton... Is that supposed to be a good thing?
KOKBILLS Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Is that supposed to be a good thing? Ummm...No...Not at all...That's why I used the
Buckeye Eric Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 Your post is stupid. Who has a brighter future the next 10 years, the Panthers or the Bills? Why? Cam Newton. One year does not a HOFer make. Talk to me in another 2-3 years.
Dr. Trooth Posted January 2, 2012 Author Posted January 2, 2012 I Never said Fitz was a franchise QB or the long term answer. Just that 6-10 ain't on him and the Bills would be stupid to draft a QB at #10 with all of the other glaring needs (Bills avg. defense ranking over the past 7 years is 23rd). All was well when the Bills were 5-2. Everyone was giddy and loved Fitz. Then the Wheels began to fall off. He'd already lost Bell, Parrish and Jones. Then Wood, Fred, Chandler & ultimately Urbik. And then you lose your kicker. When Lindell went down, FG accuracy plummeted by over 20%. What QB, be it a franchise QB or otherwise, can function when you lose 8 key players on offense... and especially two of those guys that call the line signals and snap the ball to you in the shotgun? Please, name one that's done it and made the playoffs. I get it about the no excuses stuff. But, I'm sick of this rebuilding schitt. I can understand why you still have faith in the Bills organization. Afterall the Bills have exhibited such sound judgement in drafting in the 1st round. Whitner at #8, at #9 Spiller doesn't remind me of Thermal, and Maybin, Lynch, McGahee, Losman, McCargo. Yeah, let's draft a QB at #10 this year.. RGIII. Yep, the Bills will get this one right and the Superbowl is what... 2-3 years down the road? If nothing else, it will sell tickets next year... that's the priority, not winning.
John from Riverside Posted January 2, 2012 Posted January 2, 2012 I just want to see how this team does with a consistantly solid defense......ever notice that when the defense gets stops the offense is doing suprisingly good most of the time......but when flood gates open and opposing teams start putting up points....our offense goes in the crapper? These two things are related....its like when Fitz feels like the game is slipping away he tries to hard and makes mistakes.
Rob's House Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 I'm not as high on Fitz as I was going into the season, but I can't lay all of it on him either. The ? going into the season was depth. The line was fine til they started dropping like flys. And how many receivers did we lose? Not to mention our best offensive player in FJ. It's a very rare QB that can succeed while his whole offensive unit breaks down around him.
Endless Ike Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 Fitz is the best QB The Bills have had since Frank Reich. And don't even try to bring up Drew Bledsomuchhisbrainwentnumb. The Bills were 8-8, 6-10, and 9-7 during his 3 years in the Blue, White, and Red. That's not winning anything in this league either. That said, Frank was a hell of a backup. Starter - not so much. So Fitz (4-12; 6-10; ???) is better than Bledsoe (8-8; 6-10; 9-7)...he needs 14 wins next season by your metric...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 I blame Chan more than Fitz. Chan scripts plays like he has Aaron Rodgers back there This, pretty much. +1
zow2 Posted January 3, 2012 Posted January 3, 2012 When i think from an outsider standpoint, would any rookie QB throw for 25 TDs and multiple 250-300 yd games with the Bills and their cast of characters at WR? I do believe Fitz is asked to do too much in Gailey's offense sometimes...and his accuracy in that 7 game losing streak was waning. But overall i don't think Fitz was the major reason for our failure. Horrible defense, tons of tipped INT's and dropped passes doomed Fitz as well.
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