Fitz numbers from Sunday per PFF

[ThurmasThoman]

And this is a solution because Tavaris Jackson ___________?

 

i am in no way trying to be facetious - but it is a solution because he can throw the ball further than 15 yards on target.

 

that changes EVERYTHING about the way our offense could potentially operate.

 

if the safeties couldnt cheat towards the line every single play and leave stevie single covered by a corner, and if the outside linebackers had to cover tight ends breaking into routes towards the sideline, the screen plays that we run would be absolutely brutal, and the play that we have designed to graham would be our version of wes welker going for 20 yards every time he touches the ball. that doesn't even take into account spiller and jackson running behind this line.

 

the reason we have lost so many of our games going back to our bye last year is because teams have figured out how to stop us - make fitz throw it past the line of scrimage. our wins have been marginal at best in this time period (like the win over arizona and cleveland this year (both of which we almost gave away and looked like garbage on offense,) other than that we dominated denver at home (all because of our defense,) and kansas city at home, which has been the only time in the past 15 games our offense has looked competent in a victory.

 

again, i am in no way trying to be glib or facetious, but defensive coordinators have figured out how to stop us dead in our tracks. this is even MORE evident in our divisional games - games in which opposing coordinators have an understanding of our base offense, and the practice for the week is generally given to installing wrinkles that will give you a slight advantage. ie, around the league, divisional games are generally considered a 50/50 proposition for a team to win.

 

yet with fitz at quarterback (even including our hot start last year) the results have been staggering:

1-4 in 2010, with the one win we scored 17 points

1-5 last year, granted fitz lit it up that day, but we trailed 21-0 and that game was the miracle of miracles, we could have lost that easily

0-2 this year and we have been absolutely torched in both games

 

in fact - in our division games with fitz at quarterback, we have lost by an average of 3 touchdowns, and our wins have come by an average of THREE points. those numbers are indicative of one thing: lack of ball control. were turning it over too much, and not possessing the ball for long enough. thats why it drives me crazy when people try to pin this sh*t on the defense. if you give tom brady the ball for 2/3rds of the game, and a short field, were going to get blown out, and thats whats happening. teams dont respect fitzs ability to throw the ball (he cant,) so they stack the line and force him to.

 

the fact that we have won AT ALL and spillers average yards per carry is as high as they are is the reason why a switch at qb could turn this thing around so fast in such a marked direction it will leave us in a state of blissful euphoria. the weapons are there on offense, our defense is loaded with talent, and special teams are playing fairly well. we have an offensive minded coach, which is NOT a liability in today's nfl. all the pieces are there for a... i dont want to say it, but a deep playoff run... a big oline with good running backs coupled with talent on the dline? ask the giants how that formula works.

[Fan in San Diego]

Yes, YAC is usually considered a good thing. Not around here. Some prefer the Raiders model of heave it 50 yards down the field. I would like Fitz to be more accurate so that we continue to move the chains instead of stalling out drives.

[QCity]

You want your QB to strike fear in the opposing defense, not the hometown fans. When Fitz rears back and loads up for a long throw everyone in the room has a look of sheer terror on their face.

 

It also looks like the rest of the team is finally starting to lose confidence in him. We're starting to see some head-shaking and arm-flailing from Stevie and Freddie on some of his errant throws. I give them props for sticking by their guy, but it looks like they are hitting the breaking point.

[K-9]

You want your QB to strike fear in the opposing defense, not the hometown fans. When Fitz rears back and loads up for a long throw everyone in the room has a look of sheer terror on their face.

 

It also looks like the rest of the team is finally starting to lose confidence in him. We're starting to see some head-shaking and arm-flailing from Stevie and Freddie on some of his errant throws. I give them props for sticking by their guy, but it looks like they are hitting the breaking point.

 

I think you're right. I also think Fitz may be losing some confidence in himself as well. He's been pressing all year and that tends to get worse. Each bad pass compounds the feeling and it starts to feed on itself. I know Chan would never do it, but Fitz might be well served by sitting a game and watching it from the sidelines.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[The Big Cat]

i am in no way trying to be facetious - but it is a solution because he can throw the ball further than 15 yards on target.

 

that changes EVERYTHING about the way our offense could potentially operate.

 

if the safeties couldnt cheat towards the line every single play and leave stevie single covered by a corner, and if the outside linebackers had to cover tight ends breaking into routes towards the sideline, the screen plays that we run would be absolutely brutal, and the play that we have designed to graham would be our version of wes welker going for 20 yards every time he touches the ball. that doesn't even take into account spiller and jackson running behind this line.

 

the reason we have lost so many of our games going back to our bye last year is because teams have figured out how to stop us - make fitz throw it past the line of scrimage. our wins have been marginal at best in this time period (like the win over arizona and cleveland this year (both of which we almost gave away and looked like garbage on offense,) other than that we dominated denver at home (all because of our defense,) and kansas city at home, which has been the only time in the past 15 games our offense has looked competent in a victory.

 

again, i am in no way trying to be glib or facetious, but defensive coordinators have figured out how to stop us dead in our tracks. this is even MORE evident in our divisional games - games in which opposing coordinators have an understanding of our base offense, and the practice for the week is generally given to installing wrinkles that will give you a slight advantage. ie, around the league, divisional games are generally considered a 50/50 proposition for a team to win.

 

yet with fitz at quarterback (even including our hot start last year) the results have been staggering:

1-4 in 2010, with the one win we scored 17 points

1-5 last year, granted fitz lit it up that day, but we trailed 21-0 and that game was the miracle of miracles, we could have lost that easily

0-2 this year and we have been absolutely torched in both games

 

in fact - in our division games with fitz at quarterback, we have lost by an average of 3 touchdowns, and our wins have come by an average of THREE points. those numbers are indicative of one thing: lack of ball control. were turning it over too much, and not possessing the ball for long enough. thats why it drives me crazy when people try to pin this sh*t on the defense. if you give tom brady the ball for 2/3rds of the game, and a short field, were going to get blown out, and thats whats happening. teams dont respect fitzs ability to throw the ball (he cant,) so they stack the line and force him to.

 

the fact that we have won AT ALL and spillers average yards per carry is as high as they are is the reason why a switch at qb could turn this thing around so fast in such a marked direction it will leave us in a state of blissful euphoria. the weapons are there on offense, our defense is loaded with talent, and special teams are playing fairly well. we have an offensive minded coach, which is NOT a liability in today's nfl. all the pieces are there for a... i dont want to say it, but a deep playoff run... a big oline with good running backs coupled with talent on the dline? ask the giants how that formula works.

 

You know, I understand that we can improve on Fitz's long ball, but when folks repeatedly cite Ben, Brady, Brees, Rodgers as the standard for which long-throws should be, I'm left wondering whether or not most folks here are privy to the level of mediocrity that plagues that VAST majority of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Remember JP? He could throw the long-ball as well, or better than anyone, but he was lousy underneath. To say TJ could come in and start chucking it all around the field and THAT will make us better is wildly inaccurate, I think.

 

And with how much certainty do we have that TJ can hit the guys down field? How is he on timing routes? What kind of chemistry would he have with our devil-may care, juke 'em till you get to the spot in space no. 1 receiver Stevie Johnson? How is he on the bubble screen throws we run ALL the time? Will he go up the seam to Chandler like Fitz can/does?

 

We're 3-3. We lost a game to the Pats* because we surrendered 45 points in 23 minutes. Folks have been calling the Niners the class of the league for the last 18 months. We're tied for first in our division, and quite frankly, our offense is not nearly as bad as folks on this board make it out to be. I subscribe to rewind and rewatch games to see what it is I'm missing. I see drives that stall because of penalties, drops, sacks and stuffed runs just as often as bad Fitz passes.

 

To press the reset button in hopes that TJ can wing one 15 yards is...well...dumb.

[BillsVet]

Cut Fitz immediatly--L@LZ

 

This is the third year of Gailey's offense, and you guys haven't yet grasped the concept of getting the ball to players in space? It's not about picking up chunks of yardage through the air--IT NEVER HAS BEEN.

 

Gailey designs his plays to get receivers/backs the ball in their hands with lots of room to run.

 

Showing that the majority of Fitz's yards come AC shows success in Gailey's system...

 

Oh, who am I kidding? Nevermind. Go back to thinking that Nix should have farted out an elite, *franchise* quarterback the moment Kelly retired. Lordy.

 

Ieatcrayonz-esque.

[bobobonators]

4 possible outcomes to this weeks game:

 

a) we beat tennessee convincingly (see: kc, week 2)

b) we beat tennessee barely (see: cardinals, week 6)

c) we lose to tennessee barely (see: the jets game, week 15 or 16 last year)

d) we lose to tennessee convincingly (see: weeks 1, 4 and 5 this year)

 

if b/c/or d happen - jackson gets the start coming out of the bye.

if a happens - jackson gets the start after we come home from the houston game

 

LOL...you guys keep asking for Jackson. Why not ask for Thigpen? He's 2nd on the depth charts...only in Buffalo is the third string QB the most popular QB. You guys are getting sadder by the day.

 

You know, I understand that we can improve on Fitz's long ball, but when folks repeatedly cite Ben, Brady, Brees, Rodgers as the standard for which long-throws should be, I'm left wondering whether or not most folks here are privy to the level of mediocrity that plagues that VAST majority of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Remember JP? He could throw the long-ball as well, or better than anyone, but he was lousy underneath. To say TJ could come in and start chucking it all around the field and THAT will make us better is wildly inaccurate, I think.

 

And with how much certainty do we have that TJ can hit the guys down field? How is he on timing routes? What kind of chemistry would he have with our devil-may care, juke 'em till you get to the spot in space no. 1 receiver Stevie Johnson? How is he on the bubble screen throws we run ALL the time? Will he go up the seam to Chandler like Fitz can/does?

 

We're 3-3. We lost a game to the Pats* because we surrendered 45 points in 23 minutes. Folks have been calling the Niners the class of the league for the last 18 months. We're tied for first in our division, and quite frankly, our offense is not nearly as bad as folks on this board make it out to be. I subscribe to rewind and rewatch games to see what it is I'm missing. I see drives that stall because of penalties, drops, sacks and stuffed runs just as often as bad Fitz passes.

 

To press the reset button in hopes that TJ can wing one 15 yards is...well...dumb.

 

[ThurmasThoman]

You know, I understand that we can improve on Fitz's long ball, but when folks repeatedly cite Ben, Brady, Brees, Rodgers as the standard for which long-throws should be, I'm left wondering whether or not most folks here are privy to the level of mediocrity that plagues that VAST majority of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Remember JP? He could throw the long-ball as well, or better than anyone, but he was lousy underneath. To say TJ could come in and start chucking it all around the field and THAT will make us better is wildly inaccurate, I think.

 

And with how much certainty do we have that TJ can hit the guys down field? How is he on timing routes? What kind of chemistry would he have with our devil-may care, juke 'em till you get to the spot in space no. 1 receiver Stevie Johnson? How is he on the bubble screen throws we run ALL the time? Will he go up the seam to Chandler like Fitz can/does?

 

We're 3-3. We lost a game to the Pats* because we surrendered 45 points in 23 minutes. Folks have been calling the Niners the class of the league for the last 18 months. We're tied for first in our division, and quite frankly, our offense is not nearly as bad as folks on this board make it out to be. I subscribe to rewind and rewatch games to see what it is I'm missing. I see drives that stall because of penalties, drops, sacks and stuffed runs just as often as bad Fitz passes.

 

To press the reset button in hopes that TJ can wing one 15 yards is...well...dumb.

 

i guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

however, i know with CERTAINTY, win or lose this weekend against tennessee, that we will lose in new england and in houston.

 

we will have no chance of winning those games, whatsoever.

 

and if even thigpen was under center those weeks, i would think we could legitimately be the favorites in new enland, and a push against houston.

 

you're asking me if i think a quarterback that led the seahawks to the playoffs last year can throw a screen pass? count me among the kool-aid drinkers that think, yes, tavaris jackson is capapble of throwing it 3 yards to cj spiller. can i just add, that fitzpatrick has BARELY completed that pass, on several occasions this year. many times, cj has had to come back to the ball, or freddy has had to jump and get it. this is the simplest play in the book, and fitz struggles with it.

[Homey D. Clown]

I heard Brady Quinn wants to start somewhere next season...

[bobobonators]

i guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

however, i know with CERTAINTY, win or lose this weekend against tennessee, that we will lose in new england and in houston.

 

we will have no chance of winning those games, whatsoever.

 

and if even thigpen was under center those weeks, i would think we could legitimately be the favorites in new enland, and a push against houston.

 

you're asking me if i think a quarterback that led the seahawks to the playoffs last year can throw a screen pass? count me among the kool-aid drinkers that think, yes, tavaris jackson is capapble of throwing it 3 yards to cj spiller. can i just add, that fitzpatrick has BARELY completed that pass, on several occasions this year. many times, cj has had to come back to the ball, or freddy has had to jump and get it. this is the simplest play in the book, and fitz struggles with it.

 

you're nuts man. wow you're delusionally nuts.

[reddogblitz]

you're asking me if i think a quarterback that led the seahawks to the playoffs last year can throw a screen pass?

Seahawks didn't go the playoffs last year. They did the year before with Matt Hasselback and Clipboard Jesus getting them to 7-9, winning the division. Then they beat NO. Last year they were 7-9 again, but no playoffs.

[The Big Cat]

i guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

however, i know with CERTAINTY, win or lose this weekend against tennessee, that we will lose in new england and in houston.

 

we will have no chance of winning those games, whatsoever.

 

and if even thigpen was under center those weeks, i would think we could legitimately be the favorites in new enland, and a push against houston.

 

you're asking me if i think a quarterback that led the seahawks to the playoffs last year can throw a screen pass? count me among the kool-aid drinkers that think, yes, tavaris jackson is capapble of throwing it 3 yards to cj spiller. can i just add, that fitzpatrick has BARELY completed that pass, on several occasions this year. many times, cj has had to come back to the ball, or freddy has had to jump and get it. this is the simplest play in the book, and fitz struggles with it.

 

Well, since you know the outcomes, enjoy the next five weeks, check back in and we'll let you know how it went.

[bobobonators]

Seahawks didn't go the playoffs last year. They did the year before with Matt Hasselback and Clipboard Jesus getting them to 7-9, winning the division. Then they beat NO. Last year they were 7-9 again, but no playoffs.

 

in his world they did. it's the same world where Jackson starting on the Bills would automatically make us favorites vs. the Patriots and a "push" (whatever that means in the real non-betting world) vs. the Texans. his world is a happy world where just about any QB can lead a team to a win on Sundays.

[The Big Cat]

in his world they did. it's the same world where Jackson starting on the Bills would automatically make us favorites vs. the Patriots and a "push" (whatever that means in the real non-betting world) vs. the Texans. his world is a happy world where just about any QB can lead a team to a win on Sundays.

 

Fitz can't.

[ThurmasThoman]

you're nuts man. wow you're delusionally nuts.

 

what in the last 3 years has given you confidence that ryan fitzpatrick can take us on the road to beat new england or houston?

 

not only do i think we'll lose, i think it will be by 3 touchdowns or more, because as i've mentioned, over a 3 year statistical sample, ryan fitzpatrick's buffalo teams have lost division games by an average of three touchdowns.

 

i am basing my prediction on a 3 year time sample.

 

you are basing your prediction on a belief that an 8 year veteran, who was mediocre in the ivy leagues against bad competition, and has been bad in the pros against good competition, and has never won more than 6 games in a year as a starter, and has won 2 divisional games in the last 3 years, and has been a career backup for 3 teams, and has been deemed not good enough to be a backup by 2 of those teams, and who is at the bottom of the league in yards per attempt, is going to miraculously in the next 12 days capture lightening in a bottle, and reverse nearly a decade of trends, and beat two of the premier teams in the league?

 

and IM delusional???????????

[KOKBILLS]

Great find !! Did you send it to Chan ? I don't know that even this would convince him though i hope that some one does !!

 

I was pulling for Fitz after what he showed last year but since then he has seemed to digress to what he was & not what we thought he would be ..

 

GO BILLS !!!

 

It's funny because way back after Fitz's first year with Gailey...The Edwards year...There were many here who said they wanted Fitz to be the QB because they believed he was going to be just like Drew Brees...He was only going to get better now that he had all this great Coaching...My argument was simple...The Fitz backers were ignoring the evidence they had right in front of them, Fitz's record and stats to that point...So I asked over and over again...What if he does not continue to get better? What if he continues to be who he has been to this point...Up and down and limited? What then? You know what assuming gets you?

 

Well now it's not what if, it's what now? I don't think anyone needed a crystal ball to know this was going to happen with Fitz...Nix and Gailey should have known...I blame them...

[QCity]

and IM delusional???????????

 

You've made some great points and framed them well (except that whole thing about being favorites over NE). What you fail to realize is that the Fitz Kool-Aid is 180 proof, and apparently more addicting than heroin. You're not going to convince that crowd.

 

I used to think the biggest mistake this regime made was switching to the 3-4 when we didn't have that personnel for it. I was wrong. They hitched their wagon to the wrong horse, and it looks like they are stubborn enough to go down with the ship.

[l< j]

4 possible outcomes to this weeks game:

 

a) we beat tennessee convincingly (see: kc, week 2)

b) we beat tennessee barely (see: cardinals, week 6)

c) we lose to tennessee barely (see: the jets game, week 15 or 16 last year)

d) we lose to tennessee convincingly (see: weeks 1, 4 and 5 this year)

 

if b/c/or d happen - jackson gets the start coming out of the bye.

if a happens - jackson gets the start after we come home from the houston game

 

And in a tie?

[The Big Cat]

You've made some great points and framed them well (except that whole thing about being favorites over NE). What you fail to realize is that the Fitz Kool-Aid is 180 proof, and apparently more addicting than heroin. You're not going to convince that crowd.

 

I used to think the biggest mistake this regime made was switching to the 3-4 when we didn't have that personnel for it. I was wrong. They hitched their wagon to the wrong horse, and it looks like they are stubborn enough to go down with the ship.

 

Do not count me among the Kool-Aid drinkers...

I love Fitz as much as I love the winters here in Chicago.

But until something better comes along, what the !@#$ am I, are you, is Chan, is Nix going to do about it?

[todd]

And this is a solution because Tavaris Jackson ___________?

 

Could not possibly be more inaccurate than Fitz.