2003Contenders Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Thank you. Maybe Brees wasn't the best example of the point I was trying to get across. All I'm trying to say is that every QB that is a late bloomer (which Fitz may very well be) have people saying exactly what some are saying about Fitz right now. Sure it has only been 4 games, but in those 4 games we have actually been able to move the ball and we all know about his passer rating in those 4 games. Rich Gannon is a good example, I think, of a QB that took many years to thrust himself into the limelight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 You'll never get anyone here to admit it, but QB is no longer the #1 weakness. The biggest weakness is Linebacker and pass rushers With apologies to Deep Voice.... YEAH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrid Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 If we think that Luck is great and Fitz keeps it up maybe we could trade him for another #1 pick. Look how NE did it with Cassell. Just sayin? That's REALLY down the road w/ a bunch of IFs. But what's up w/ 'Cuse at 5-2 ?? has hell forzen over? glad to see it tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oarosemena Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 One of the things i like most about Fitz as our QB is that all of a sudden our O Line looks fine, i know we don´t have a great O Line but with Fitz in control it looks completely different than with Trent. Thats one of the biggest differences i´ve seen. Go Fitz Go Bills!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 We are only 4 games in and we'll need about 25-30 games of proof. Even if he finishes the season strong, we would want to see him repeat the performance next season to ensure that he's not a one-season wonder like Derek Anderson or David Garrard. Far too early to tell but it's exciting to see good QB play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoFFacet Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 If we think that Luck is great and Fitz keeps it up maybe we could trade him for another #1 pick. Look how NE did it with Cassell. Just sayin? Oh I get it. Screw chemistry, screw leadership, screw continuity, screw the fact that he's currently throwing at an elite level. Lets trade away the one player who is pretty much 100% responsible for turning this offense around, for a draft pick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's in My Blood Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 Absolutely! Draft a LB with first round pick next year. I still don't think drafting a LB is worth a top pick. If the QB position is solidified with Fitz , then I would hope the Bills brass would take the premier DL and make LB second priority. Premier LB's can be found every year in FA it seems , all pro lineman are rarely available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's in My Blood Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 I can't help but think that by the end of the year, this thread is going to look ridiculous with hindsight. Todd Collins put up some nice numbers for a short stretch a few years back.... Thats how it goes in Buffalo . All there is , is hope. And when we as fans see a glimmer of light , we assume the best. And then , without fail , we come crashing back down to Earth. Fitz is playing great. But Im holding myself back until week 10 or 11 and see where we are then. If he's still lighting it up , hes our guy obviously , if not , we're in the same position we were a month ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanM.D. Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Thats how it goes in Buffalo . All there is , is hope. And when we as fans see a glimmer of light , we assume the best. And then , without fail , we come crashing back down to Earth. Fitz is playing great. But Im holding myself back until week 10 or 11 and see where we are then. If he's still lighting it up , hes our guy obviously , if not , we're in the same position we were a month ago. That pretty much sums it up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Chiefs have a good defense ... if Fitz and the offense put up big #'s on them, then Ill start billieving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herd of Bills Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Obviously time will tell. One can only hope for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 My sense is that one of the most important stats put up by Manning that year was that he started all 16 games (I believe he was the only player in the entire NFL who can make the claim to have started all 16 of his team's games that year though as I think about it perhaps Favre might also make that claim). At any rate, for those who choose to look beyond one players stats to assess reality I think this stat points to 3 important things for the Bills looking to catch QB lightening in a bottle: 1. This shows the importance of the previous Indy investments in building their OL. I doubt Manning would even have survived 16 games as a rookie without having a young studly OL to protect him. The Bills this year are likely at least a player and a half away from having an adequate One need only look at how many times a game due to his vet ability to read play quickly and decide to run not only for his life, but because he is the NFLs answer to Bobby Douglas he has the skills to run for positive yardagw. I am sorry, but it seems pretty doubtful to me that a rookie QB would survive behind the new OL next year that will merely be struggling to get chemistry at best. 2. Mannings rookie year performance pointed to the most important skill he had which was a lightening fast release. Pretty much the best QB in football (or at least in the top 2 or 3 every year) had from the start a quick release but he still got sacked a lot for him and he threw INTs like any rookie learning to be a vet. If the Bills go with a rookie QB he cannot be a player like a Claussen who is a gamer but needs a couple of years before he is even at acceptable speeds for his release. If the Bills go for a franchise QB at #1 his first attribute particularly if we cannot strengthen the OL with our #1 as it went for a QB had better be his quick release or he will not survive, 3. Even as great a QB as Manning he did nothing for the Indy draft position. This town and its media are not known for being patient. If this new franchise QB follows a statistical course like Manning he likely will actually end up being like Favre or Steve Young, HOF players who got run out of town in the first gigs. Peytons first two seasons: Year one 3-13-0, 26 td 28 int QB rating 71.2% Year two 13-3-0 26TD 15 INT QB Rating90.7% Contrast his first 16 games with the next 16: Year three. 10-6 33Td 15 int QB rat 94.7 Check it out for yourself and look at 2001. Do #s lie? http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Somebody is not receiving the proper credit here, Chan Gailey. His reputation is quarterback development and he has done a fantastic job. If Fitzpatrick can keep this up, the Bills have eliminated the need for a QB, 2nd receiver,a new offensive line,and the Bills can focus on defense. That's would be quite an accomplishment in 3 months. Seems like yesterday we needed a completely new team. I'm with this guy. *If* (and this is a big if) Fitz can keep it up, you've gotta build around him. And I agree that a lot of the success is Chan. I don't think it's a coincidence that Fitz's best week is after the bye week. That's both part Chan's badass coaching and Fitz's badass smarts. I don't think Fitz is the most physically talented QB, but he's supremely confident, and given the time to sit down with a coach, he can work it out. I was a little bummed at first, but I get the feeling that Gailey/Nix were a little overwhelmed at first. That's not necessarily a downfall on their part, I think *anyone* would have been overwhelmed with this franchise. Look at Gailey's frustration after like week #4, it was pretty obvious. My feeling is that these guys are learning how to fight the powers that be and mold a football team at the same time. I also don't think that it's a coincidence that the line looks better once Fitz takes over, or that Fitz is better in Gailey's system. I also don't think QB is the biggest need anymore (and this is something I've been preaching and was dead wrong about). That being said, those are my *current* feelings. I think we need the rest of the season to validate them. I'm hoping it happens, and if so, the Bills are a bunch of linebackers away from really competing. The one thing that still hurts is the Kelsay extension, but hopefully he is cool with taking a backseat when they get other guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 You'll never get anyone here to admit it, but QB is no longer the #1 weakness. The biggest weakness is Linebacker and pass rushers Don't forget NT. I love Kyle but he would be way better as an end in the 34 and troupe is the same put those guys at end next year and draft Robert Quinn 1st pick then Main > 2011 Big Board > Jerrell Powe * School: Ole Miss Position: DT Class: 2011 Big Board Year: Junior Hometown: Waynesboro, MI Date of Birth: 03/15/87 Height: 6020 Weight: 330 40 T: 5.15 Projection: 2nd Round Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (edited) Thats how it goes in Buffalo . All there is , is hope. And when we as fans see a glimmer of light , we assume the best. And then , without fail , we come crashing back down to Earth. Fitz is playing great. But Im holding myself back until week 10 or 11 and see where we are then. If he's still lighting it up , hes our guy obviously , if not , we're in the same position we were a month ago. This part of the schedule appears to be the softest, it's the last part of the season, when the games really count, that I want to judge Fitz on. He hasn't even won a game this season! Edited October 28, 2010 by Matthews' Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I've been a fan of the Bills for fifteen years at least. I've been really following football for maybe seven or eight. Every year there are one or two college football players coming out that stand easily at the top of the list, guys that a team can build a unit around. Last year it was Suh. Remember - going through a rebuild that takes a few years is something a team doesn't want to do every four or five years. If we have to hit rock bottom to build this thing up the right way, we should be aiming for a championship, to begin with, and then to remain that good. Now, if we end up going into next year with the first pick, or top two or three, we should not be seeing that high a pick again for a long time. To be a great team - not just good, but great - we need a great QB. Fitz might be playing good, but he'll never be great. He looks like the perfect number 2 QB on a championship team, able to come in and win a game when needed, smart and capable of helping a young Qb read defenses. If we have the chance to grab a QB capable of being great, then we need to take it. Unless there is another player of need on Defense that is looking like a once in a generation prospect - and from what I've read it looks like the QB's are the talk of next year's draft. The other direction - one I'm opposed to - is trading down. But, we won't, at least we shouldn't, have the chance to lock up a great Qb with a top pick for the forseeable future, so that is the way to go, IMO. A few weeks ago, I would have written the same thing--especially if I felt Luck would declare for the upcoming draft. Now, though, I'm not so sure. Fitz is handling the mental aspects of the position better than any other Bills quarterback in recent memory--and that specifically includes Jim Kelly. His physical tools are limited, but they seem good enough to get the job done. My one concern is his accuracy. In the past, he'd follow up a good throw with an errant pass. Now, the ratio of good passes to bad has significantly improved. Another thing I like about him is his elite level of passion for the game and will to win. A lot of times, raw desire separates the merely good from the great. I'm not saying Fitz has yet earned the right to be called "great," but the same could also be said about the quarterbacks of the 2011 draft. If Luck doesn't declare--which he probably won't--there will not be a QB worthy of a top-5 pick in the 2011 draft. Assuming the Bills use the pick on a defensive front seven player, that will give the Bills the rest of this season and all of the next to evaluate Fitzpatrick. (Barring injury, of course.) Clearly, the worst-case scenario would be for Fitzpatrick to play well enough to keep us from getting Luck in 2012, but not well enough to be the long-term answer himself. But that said, Fitz is playing a lot better than I thought he could, and he looks like a real quarterback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I can recall posts gushing about how Trent Edwards looked like Joe Montana when the Bills were 5-0, then they went to Arizona and Edwards suffered a severe concussion. Lets hope Fitz can keep up his good play and that crappy O line can protect him. That line improved dramatically once Cornell Green hit the bench The Bills need to run the ball more to take pressure off Fitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 If Luck doesn't declare--which he probably won't--there will not be a QB worthy of a top-5 pick in the 2011 draft. I disagree. Nobody moves up before a draft as fast as quarterbacks. As I recall, Sanchez is an example of a player who was projected to go later and just kept moving up. Mallet has gifts that don't come around often. He can make circus type throws, and I am thinking he will go top 5, if not first. We shall see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fansince88 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (edited) My sense is that one of the most important stats put up by Manning that year was that he started all 16 games (I believe he was the only player in the entire NFL who can make the claim to have started all 16 of his team's games that year though as I think about it perhaps Favre might also make that claim). At any rate, for those who choose to look beyond one players stats to assess reality I think this stat points to 3 important things for the Bills looking to catch QB lightening in a bottle: 1. This shows the importance of the previous Indy investments in building their OL. I doubt Manning would even have survived 16 games as a rookie without having a young studly OL to protect him. The Bills this year are likely at least a player and a half away from having an adequate One need only look at how many times a game due to his vet ability to read play quickly and decide to run not only for his life, but because he is the NFLs answer to Bobby Douglas he has the skills to run for positive yardagw. I am sorry, but it seems pretty doubtful to me that a rookie QB would survive behind the new OL next year that will merely be struggling to get chemistry at best. 2. Mannings rookie year performance pointed to the most important skill he had which was a lightening fast release. Pretty much the best QB in football (or at least in the top 2 or 3 every year) had from the start a quick release but he still got sacked a lot for him and he threw INTs like any rookie learning to be a vet. If the Bills go with a rookie QB he cannot be a player like a Claussen who is a gamer but needs a couple of years before he is even at acceptable speeds for his release. If the Bills go for a franchise QB at #1 his first attribute particularly if we cannot strengthen the OL with our #1 as it went for a QB had better be his quick release or he will not survive, 3. Even as great a QB as Manning he did nothing for the Indy draft position. This town and its media are not known for being patient. If this new franchise QB follows a statistical course like Manning he likely will actually end up being like Favre or Steve Young, HOF players who got run out of town in the first gigs. My point is the comparason between Payton and fitzy's first 16 games. Just saying that I find the stats intresting. Would we have canned him here? I think possibly. I also fully agree with your point on Paytons durability. He has started in every game since his first throw. Amazing! I can recall posts gushing about how Trent Edwards looked like Joe Montana when the Bills were 5-0, then they went to Arizona and Edwards suffered a severe concussion. Lets hope Fitz can keep up his good play and that crappy O line can protect him. That line improved dramatically once Cornell Green hit the bench The Bills need to run the ball more to take pressure off Fitz They have started off strong running and then abandon it. I wonder why? Edited October 28, 2010 by fansince88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wang From Sang Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Thats how it goes in Buffalo . All there is , is hope. And when we as fans see a glimmer of light , we assume the best. And then , without fail , we come crashing back down to Earth. Fitz is playing great. But Im holding myself back until week 10 or 11 and see where we are then. If he's still lighting it up , hes our guy obviously , if not , we're in the same position we were a month ago. Even the best Quarterbacks have an off day. Mark my words, first off game by Fittz and the Luck fans will return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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