Is it even feasible to have another QB starting at NE in 3 weeks?

[JPS]

I see no reason to stay married to Fitz. He hasn't earned his next start and it's an epic failure of this organization to even have a question of whom the next guy is. Ha....this is Budduh Nix, the new Genral Manager of the BUFFalo Bills........

[BillsVet]

Your thinking is logical and possibly the best defense I've seen towards Chan making a change. However at the time he was 2 weeks into his coaching job and it wasn't going to hurt him. Thus move however could get him fired. He's already in the hot seat if he doesn't get to the playoffs. His best bet might be to put in TJax (personally I believe this), or it might be to hope Fartz gets hot like the beginning of last year.

 

Gailey lost major points when he did a complete 180 and benched Edwards after committing to him for 2010. Teams being run correctly don't put themselves into position to redirect from the anointed starter. The only other example I can think of is Cleveland, and they're not exactly world-class there. I don't buy that he had less to lose. When you become a HC, the clock is ticking.

 

Fitz is not suddenly going to get hot anymore. Since Week 4 of 2011, he's thrown for more than 300 yards 3 times and Buffalo lost every game. The Chan offense isn't surprising anyone anymore and frankly, teams have figured out that they can't extend the field because Fitz is wildly inaccurate. So they gear up to stop the short pass that Chan calls about 25 times per game.

[Sisyphean Bills]

If Ralph decides he's seen enough...

[NoSaint]

 

 

Let me start by saying I don't understand the whole TJax trade at all. Why trade for a guy who's about to be cut, and we could likely claim off waivers given our wonderful record last year, if you aren't going to use him? Either he's way slower at picking up the playbook than they thought, or he passed the physical but is still hindered by last year's torn pec, or it was just a strange, strange move. I thought very well of TJax play last year, but essentially for his career, he's about what Fitz is: a capable, mid-tier QB who can play in the NFL, but falls short of being able to drive a pass-centric offense (he and Fitz were neck and neck statistically last year, except for TD and INT).

 

That said, IMO we should change what we've been doing this year on offense and gear it toward run heavy plays and throws Fitz can make regardless of who we're playing. We don't even need to blow up our playbook. We showed against KC and against the Browns, those plays are in there already and we can execute them.

 

Why continue to plot the same course in terms of plays and schemes? Beats the He** out of me, and puzzles me why people still speak so highly of Chan when he refuses to adjust his course to avoid the obvious lighthouse.

 

well, hes a 7 year vet so he wouldve been a UFA, not on waivers - no?

[jcbillsfan]

Promo I usually agree with you but 8 weeks to learn the play book and two weeks of first team reps to start should be enough to get tjax ready. Then he gets the first team reps every week moving forward so he should beagle to adjust to the adjustments

[Maury Ballstein]

anyone would be an improvement. Fitz's uber innaccuracy does not belong in the NFL. It's amazing how he got this far

[mrags]

 

 

Gailey lost major points when he did a complete 180 and benched Edwards after committing to him for 2010. Teams being run correctly don't put themselves into position to redirect from the anointed starter. The only other example I can think of is Cleveland, and they're not exactly world-class there. I don't buy that he had less to lose. When you become a HC, the clock is ticking.

 

Fitz is not suddenly going to get hot anymore. Since Week 4 of 2011, he's thrown for more than 300 yards 3 times and Buffalo lost every game. The Chan offense isn't surprising anyone anymore and frankly, teams have figured out that they can't extend the field because Fitz is wildly inaccurate. So they gear up to stop the short pass that Chan calls about 25 times per game.

I agree with you Vet. I just don't think he sees things as clearly as we do. And yes, I do think he's on the hot seat and no I don't think he was when he benched Trent. He needs to win now or it is his job. That wasn't the case 2 years ago at this time.

[Dan]

The Bills are currently 3-3. They are tied with the division lead, and nearly half the other teams in the AFC. Chan has been steadfast behind Fitz since he began starting. Fitz just helped us beat the Cards on the road. If anyone truly thinks Fitz is going to get benched anytime soon, you're delusional.

[mattsox]

anyone would be an improvement. Fitz's uber innaccuracy does not belong in the NFL. It's amazing how he got this far

 

Except for All the other QBs on our Team. They'd need to trade or just wait till Next Year's draft. There is noo way we win with Thigpen, Jackson or Smith...

[8-8 Forever?]

Cost benefits analysis:

 

Fitz calls a good game and his ability to help the O line by quick decision-making and through adjustments at the line of scrimmage are important skills. His arm is holding him and us back, no question.

 

TJackson (and, apparently, my mother-in-law) has a better arm. But does that outweigh the other stuff? Will he put his O line in a position to succeed? Will he make the right audibles, or even just not cost us timeouts because he doesn't know the playbook? Will his unfamiliarity with receivers and their routes mean that the benefit of his better arm is not going to be realized? (SJ seems to run somewhat unorthodox routes, at least getting off the line, so don't assume that he will easily mesh with a new QB.)

 

Chan is weighing these questions now, and it isn't clear to me what the answer is. It couldn't be any worse Fitz right now? Yes, as bad as he is playing (no excuses, it's bad), I could see how it well could be worse.

 

kj

If TJ catches that ball he dropped for the first down, we go in for the winning score and everyone's talking about Fitz having an OK game. He is the guy. Forget about the rest. Pull him now and things will be worse. There is very little history of the second guy in doing well. Dilfer with Ravens, Tebow with gimmick offense last year, maybe a couple others, but this is no time to pull the plug. Even if he comes and stinks it up against the Titans, you put pigpen on the road to Houston and Pats on consecutive weeks? No, no you don't.

[Jim in Anchorage]

The Bills are currently 3-3. They are tied with the division lead, and nearly half the other teams in the AFC. Chan has been steadfast behind Fitz since he began starting. Fitz just helped us beat the Cards on the road. If anyone truly thinks Fitz is going to get benched anytime soon, you're delusional.

This takes the written by his mom post trophy by a mile.

[8-8 Forever?]

The Bills are currently 3-3. They are tied with the division lead, and nearly half the other teams in the AFC. Chan has been steadfast behind Fitz since he began starting. Fitz just helped us beat the Cards on the road. If anyone truly thinks Fitz is going to get benched anytime soon, you're delusional.

Correct. He is the guy. And he will be fine. He needs a good running game and needs to keep throwing it up there. He has hit the long ball many times, some have been TDs and a bunch have been dropped. He can do it. Will he lead us to the promised land, No. But that is a problem for next season, not this one.

[ThurmasThoman]

Correct. He is the guy. And he will be fine. He needs a good running game and needs to keep throwing it up there. He has hit the long ball many times, some have been TDs and a bunch have been dropped. He can do it. Will he lead us to the promised land, No. But that is a problem for next season, not this one.

 

so why start him?

 

what evidence do you have that thigpen or jackson are NOT able to do that.

 

we have never seen thigpen playing with our first unit for a full 60 minutes.

 

what if he comes in and throws for 400 yards and 3 tds, and we beat new england?

 

what if jackson does that?

 

what if the defense we have assembled, and the running backs we have on this roster, and our dominant offensive line could make tyler thigpen a qb on the level of joe flacco or matt ryan? what if those variables could make tavaris jackson a BETTER qb than those 2 examples?

 

all of those are possible scenarios, yet we KNOW for a FACT that fitz doing that isnt possible.

 

if thigpen started, and we SMOKED new england (which isnt that far fetched, we have built big leads on them the last 2 times we've played them, then lost the game in the end, for all intents and purposes, we should be on a 3 game winning streak against them,) would we not instantly be the favorites to win the division?

 

i mean, seriously, consider that option. if thigpen came in, started, and we beat new england, we would be the favorites to either a) host a wild card game, or b) host a divisional game and get a bye.

 

but yet, we insist on sticking with fitz, who we KNOW wont produce those results. i dont get it.

 

and dont say "you saw thigpen in the preseason, he's not the answer." i saw thigpen i the preseason, playing with our second stringers, and guys fighting for roster spots. let me see thigpen with the option to throw to spiller for 60 minutes. let me see thigpen with stevie breaking free on the sideline. let me see thigpen with a vote of confidence, knowing hes got our d to bail him out.

Edited October 16, 2012 by JohnnyGold

[T master]

The only feasible option is Thigpen. You might be able to get Jackson on the field after the bye and only if you scale back the playbook way down. That might work for a game or two but NFL DCs will figure him out and we are back to where we are now.

 

Anyone remember what Thigpen looked like in the Lions pre season game? Yes, it's pre season, yada yada. But he was making some very accurate throws. It's what saved his job. He has to know Gailey's offense. Can he be any worse than Fitz right now?

 

PTR

 

Any move right now to better the team would be good . One thing that Buddy & Chan always say is "we are always looking to make the team better" so what are they not seeing ??

 

Big question is why was T J brought here in the first place if the guy wasn't going to be used why waste the pick ?

 

You've been at this longer than most on this site , if you can't give any insight to that question who knows the answer ??

Edited October 16, 2012 by T master

[PromoTheRobot]

Any move right now to better the team would be good . One thing that Buddy & Chan always say is "we are always looking to make the team better" so what are they not seeing ??

 

Big question is why was T J brought here in the first place if the guy wasn't going to be used why waste the pick ?

 

You've been at this longer than most on this site , if you can't give any insight to that question who knows the answer ??

 

Honestly, no. Some of the moves made are head scratchers. Everyone makes a few bad decisions but when you see a bunch in a row you get worried. Someone else asked if Chan's offense is too complicated. I wondered the same thing. It's probably awesome if you have a QB who can make throws, What do you do when you don't?

 

PTR

[8-8 Forever?]

Except for All the other QBs on our Team. They'd need to trade or just wait till Next Year's draft. There is noo way we win with Thigpen, Jackson or Smith...

Trade for who? This isn't fantasy football. This is real football. If they trade, it will be during the offseason to enable the new guy to absorb the playbook and go through OTAs.

 

Promo I usually agree with you but 8 weeks to learn the play book and two weeks of first team reps to start should be enough to get tjax ready. Then he gets the first team reps every week moving forward so he should beagle to adjust to the adjustments

TJax is running scout team I am sure. No reps with Bills offense. You gonna give him two weeks of live reps in a completely new offense with players he's never ever played with and then put him on the road to Texans and Pats back to back?? I always liked TJax in Seattle, but OMG, these Bills fan are a truly desperate bunch. I cannot imagine in a hundred years they got TJax with the thought he would actually start a game this year.

[Dan]

This takes the written by his mom post trophy by a mile.

I'm not even sure what that means. Really.

 

... But that is a problem for next season, not this one.

Exactly

 

 

so why start him?

 

what evidence do you have that thigpen or jackson are NOT able to do that.

 

we have never seen thigpen playing with our first unit for a full 60 minutes.

 

what if he comes in and throws for 400 yards and 3 tds, and we beat new england?

 

what if jackson does that?

 

what if the defense we have assembled, and the running backs we have on this roster, and our dominant offensive line could make tyler thigpen a qb on the level of joe flacco or matt ryan? what if those variables could make tavaris jackson a BETTER qb than those 2 examples?

 

all of those are possible scenarios, yet we KNOW for a FACT that fitz doing that isnt possible.

 

if thigpen started, and we SMOKED new england (which isnt that far fetched, we have built big leads on them the last 2 times we've played them, then lost the game in the end, for all intents and purposes, we should be on a 3 game winning streak against them,) would we not instantly be the favorites to win the division?

 

i mean, seriously, consider that option. if thigpen came in, started, and we beat new england, we would be the favorites to either a) host a wild card game, or b) host a divisional game and get a bye.

 

but yet, we insist on sticking with fitz, who we KNOW wont produce those results. i dont get it.

 

and dont say "you saw thigpen in the preseason, he's not the answer." i saw thigpen i the preseason, playing with our second stringers, and guys fighting for roster spots. let me see thigpen with the option to throw to spiller for 60 minutes. let me see thigpen with stevie breaking free on the sideline. let me see thigpen with a vote of confidence, knowing hes got our d to bail him out.

What if I had a billion dollars... I could buy the team and trade for Drew Brees and all the world would be sunshine and rainbows.

[Rob's House]

As bad as Fitz has played, Tarvaris Jackson would be a marginal improvement at best, and likely a down grade. I get the desire to pull Fitz, but the idea that Tarvaris Jackson is the savior is laughable. The fact that half his supporters point to a 3 INT game as his greatest achievement speaks volumes about perceptions.

[Marcelstephon]

I'm assuming even if we did give TJ two weeks of 1st team reps, we wouldn't want to throw him in at Gillette with, possibly, first place on the line. So should we just assume that we are going to still be with Fitz? If so, during the bye week, do we completely blow up our playbook in terms of what we've been doing this year on offense, and gear it toward run heavy plays and throws FItz can make?

 

I'm wondering because if it's not a possibility for another QB to step in (and I don't think Thigpen is the answer), then why continue to plot the same course in terms of plays and schemes?

 

OR

 

Do we do something drastic over the bye week?

 

Lets start brad smith, he seems awesome

[Rico]

As bad as Fitz has played, Tarvaris Jackson would be a marginal improvement at best, and likely a down grade. I get the desire to pull Fitz, but the idea that Tarvaris Jackson is the savior is laughable. The fact that half his supporters point to a 3 INT game as his greatest achievement speaks volumes about perceptions.

This. There isn't a better option on the roster again it's too bad VY didn't work out.