Congratulations to Fitzy

[DrFishfinder]

Lets see what he does during the next 11 games, shall we? There's little doubt in my mind that Fitz is a better QB than Trent Edwards was, but at the same time, he's had the benefit of playing against two teams, the Jaguars and Patriots, that are allowing more yards per game and more yards per play than even this sorry Bills defense.

 

They play several games against teams with solid defenses during the remainder of this season and it should provide a good test of Fitzpatrick and the offense in general. I'm not in the least bit convinced that they're actually any better than they have been in the last 7 or 8 years, but merely the beneficiaries of playing miserable defenses in two of the last three games. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

While Fitz, like him or hate him, is NOT the long term answer, the bigger problem is the D. > 34 points/game the last 3 games is not going to cut it.

[Brandon]

While Fitz, like him or hate him, is NOT the long term answer, the bigger problem is the D. > 34 points/game the last 3 games is not going to cut it.

 

That's the prevailing wisdom right now, but I strongly suspect that by the end of the season, the offense and defense will be viewed as equally bad. I think those games against NE and Jacksonville were an abberation and that this team will probably average somewhere in the 12-14ppg range over the next 11 games.

[GR8PRKN]

In the 3 weeks that Fitz played, the defense gave up 38, 38, and 36 points I believe it was. During those 3 weeks, the highest point total any team in the NFL gave up and still got the win was 28.

 

Blaming Fitz for these losses is nuts. Maybe if the defense didn't give up so many points there wouldn't be any "garbage time" and 20 or 30 points would be enough to win.

 

I know we're not used to this. In the last 4 years our defense would keep us in games but our offense was so bad we couldn't win them. Now it's the opposite. Our offense is good and our defense can't keep up in any games.

 

The offense is OK. Our defense is horrible. That's why we're losing.

 

Personally, I can forgive a handful of ugly passes during a game if you give me 7 TDs and 2 picks and 70 points in 3 games. There are no style points in football.

 

Our D is awful.. I agree but we sucked on ST last week and the O does not ave the talent for a shoot out

[billsfan_34]

A high rating without wins and offensive production means jack ****.

 

Congrats for playing hard, but you aren't the answer, Fitz. Win some games, then I'll be happy.

Have you not noticed how bad out D is? That, my friend, is why we are losing.

[Fixxxer]

Regarding the "how can someone be lucky to not throw interceptions" comment...

 

When you miss 40% of your throws and only end up with a couple of those in the hands of the other guys, you are getting lucky. Overthrows and tips, especially... How many ints did Byrd get last year on tipped/overthrown balls?

 

Look at Fitz's history, this is a statistical outlier so far.

 

I still don't get the he's lucky he hasn't throw an int comment. Are Fitz's incomplete passes different from passes from other QBSs in the league?

[DrFishfinder]

That's the prevailing wisdom right now, but I strongly suspect that by the end of the season, the offense and defense will be viewed as equally bad. I think those games against NE and Jacksonville were an abberation and that this team will probably average somewhere in the 12-14ppg range over the next 11 games.

I would hope that both the O & D will improve as the season unfolds. However, the thing that really has me worried is how badly the D has regressed from last year. George Edwards is 1 and gone unless he pulls a rabbit out of his.....hat.

[BillsFan4Life420]

Yes, p;lace him at OLB on defense. No reason why he can't play both offense and defense, that damn whimp.

 

damn straight time for fitzy to man up on some old school iron man fottball

[BillsVet]

And there was much rejoicing...

[Rayzer32]

This whole thread means what??? I remember in 2008 going into the bye during week 6 the Buffalo Bills were 4-1 and Trent Edwards was the next Jim Kelly. After the bye the Bills were 5-1 and Fitz rhymes with shi**! Who cares about his rating and apparently you can win games when allowing over 30 pts. NE beat us after allowing 30 pts and they have a worse defense. A good starting NFL QB might have to carry an entire team on his back once in a while to eke out a close game, like the one against NE. Fitz had his chance in that game to prove this and instead he threw two horrid INTs to end the Bills chances. His accuracy is NOT good. So here's to you Fitzy for your meaningless QB rating, now can you go win a game for us?

[Dorkington]

I still don't get the he's lucky he hasn't throw an int comment. Are Fitz's incomplete passes different from passes from other QBSs in the league?

 

Not at all.

 

Generally, those with lower completion percentages throw more interceptions. It's simply a numbers game. The more you miss your guy, the more likely their guy is gonna catch it.

 

Keep in mind, I think he's doing a decent job under the conditions. And might even be fine to keep in there while we build the rest of the team around him. But again, I don't think he is our savior, a great quarterback, or anyone who is going to lead us into the future. He's an average QB, a really, really, really gutsy one that happens to be making good plays right now. Last year, he messed up a lot. We'll see what he does with the rest of this year. But really, he's not good enough to make up for the faults on the rest of our squad, so I'm not going to sit around and praise him up and down for anything other than doing an ok job in a ****ty situation.

[Fixxxer]

Not at all.

 

Generally, those with lower completion percentages throw more interceptions. It's simply a numbers game. The more you miss your guy, the more likely their guy is gonna catch it.

 

Keep in mind, I think he's doing a decent job under the conditions. And might even be fine to keep in there while we build the rest of the team around him. But again, I don't think he is our savior, a great quarterback, or anyone who is going to lead us into the future. He's an average QB, a really, really, really gutsy one that happens to be making good plays right now. Last year, he messed up a lot. We'll see what he does with the rest of this year. But really, he's not good enough to make up for the faults on the rest of our squad, so I'm not going to sit around and praise him up and down for anything other than doing an ok job in a ****ty situation.

 

I have yet to see a poster claiming such thing. The thing is that so far Fitz has shown progress in Gailey's system. He's still has time to shou his tendendcies as a non accurate passer but in the meantime he'll receive his due props.

And given that Fitz can show progress under Gailey you have to wonder how much better this offense could be with a guy like Luck or Mallet at QB and few upgrades in the OL.

[Orton's Arm]

Not at all.

 

Generally, those with lower completion percentages throw more interceptions. It's simply a numbers game. The more you miss your guy, the more likely their guy is gonna catch it.

 

Keep in mind, I think he's doing a decent job under the conditions. And might even be fine to keep in there while we build the rest of the team around him. But again, I don't think he is our savior, a great quarterback, or anyone who is going to lead us into the future. He's an average QB, a really, really, really gutsy one that happens to be making good plays right now. Last year, he messed up a lot. We'll see what he does with the rest of this year. But really, he's not good enough to make up for the faults on the rest of our squad, so I'm not going to sit around and praise him up and down for anything other than doing an ok job in a ****ty situation.

Just to add to what you've written: last season, getting slightly less than half the playing time, Trent Edwards had a 73.8 rating and averaged 6.4 yards per pass attempt. Fitz also had about half the playing time last season, and had the same offensive coordinator and supporting cast as Edwards. He had a 69.7 QB rating and 6.3 yards per attempt. At least statistically, Fitz didn't outplay a guy we just released.

 

This year his numbers have been a lot better. But someone pointed out that two of the three defenses he faced were worse than the Bills' defense. Also, of the seven TDs scored over the last three weeks, three were in garbage time. Getting garbage time TDs against defenses which are lousy even when not in prevent mode isn't enough to cancel out last year's failure to get better stats than Edwards. Fitzpatrick is a good backup QB, but isn't the long-term answer. If the Bills have the chance to add a franchise QB in the 2011 draft, they have to pull the trigger. Opportunities like that are very rare.

[Buffalo Billy]

 

Fitzpatrick over a full 16 game season in Gailey's offense:

 

277 for 453, 3173 yards, 37 TDs and 11 INTs

 

Bills fans response: "You aren't the answer" and "Nothing more than a backup"

 

Somebody else said it best in another thread..."only thing dumber than the front office are the fans of this team." With fans like these, who needs enemies...we're our own enemies half the time guys.

 

"Let's draft a 21 year old from some crappy spread college offense and start over instead." Yaaay!!

 

Sounds like a perfectly adequate "answer" for a couple rebuilding years. I had to blink a couple times to make sure I read "7 TDs to 2 INTs" right in the linked stat list. Fitz is a couple percentage points (from those occasional really badly thrown balls) away from actually being accepted as a GOOD quarterback. I know they say you can't teach accuracy, but I don't necessarily think those occasional flub passes qualify as accuracy issues. He's not just missing, it might be something that can be cured with more regular playing time.

[reddogblitz]

Presently the Bills are number 26 in the NFL in points per game at 17.6. If we take out the 2 TE games with 10 and 7 points, in Fitz' 3 game we are averaging 23.3 points per game. That would put us at #9 just ahead of Green Bay. I realize this isn't a totally fair apples to apples comparison, but it does kindof indcate (to me at least) that our offense is not that far off. Our D is our problem. Until that side of the ball improves, expect the butt whippin's to continue.

[FightClub]

Sounds like a perfectly adequate "answer" for a couple rebuilding years. I had to blink a couple times to make sure I read "7 TDs to 2 INTs" right in the linked stat list. Fitz is a couple percentage points (from those occasional really badly thrown balls) away from actually being accepted as a GOOD quarterback. I know they say you can't teach accuracy, but I don't necessarily think those occasional flub passes qualify as accuracy issues. He's not just missing, it might be something that can be cured with more regular playing time.

 

It's going to take a next couple of weeks to shut these naysayers up. We won't win the Baltimore game, but once again it won't be the offense that is the problem. I expect 20+ points again, and at least a TD (possibly one more in garbage time) from Fitz. Then the following week I expect the Bills to beat the Chiefs and Fitz will have another three TD game.

 

I'll come back and admit I'm wrong if I am, but I'm not going to be. Fitz is a good QB.

[oak tree 12]

One thing in his defense though, Dork, is that I do want him resigned to be the 2011 brief starter/back-up to next year's #1 overall pick.

 

when we draft a QB with our #1 pick you can bet your last dollar fitz will under no circumstances be our starter next year.

 

i cant think of a QB drafted in the top 5 in recent history who did not start his rookie year.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Down with the goal posts!!!

[oak tree 12]

Evidently his stats are good enough to be the sixth best QB.

 

He's been lucky to no throw interceptions? How does that work, exactly?

 

It's Fitz that can't move the offense? Not bone head penalties, or phantom penalties or stuffed runs on first and second down that kill drives? It's Fitz's problem?

 

i guess his total lack of accuracy doesant count.he is the most innacurate QB in the NFL.

 

he throws one good pass then 10 hoffiffic passes that either bounce off the ground or sail miles over an open receivers head or he under throws them. the guy can run the offense but thats about it.