Simon Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 OK, before I get lumped in with the arm strength is everything wackos, let me just say that it is waaaaaay down my list of what makes for a good QB. But the bottom line is that if you don't have the basic minimum, you simply cannot play in this league. Watching Fitzpatrick last year, the biggest problem he had was that he simply did not show the basic minimum of an NFL caliber arm. This meant that not only was he not suited as a starter, he wasn't even worth a roster spot as a back up. Fast forward to this year. I haven't paid much attention to the Bills for the last several weeks so last weekend was the first time I've actually sat down to watch them since Edwards continued to regress and was sent packing. Imagine my surprise when I saw several instances of Fitzpatrick suddenly sticking rips into tight little windows. Now, I'm not saying the guy showed a big arm, but for the first time that I've seen him he actually showed the basic minimum of an NFL arm. Where the hell did that come from? It could be a function of having confidence in the offensive scheme. Nobody knew what was going on in last year's clustermuck but with a more experienced, proactive coordinator perhaps Fitzpatrick now feels confident to shoot a ball in to a tight space because he knows to expect good things if he does so. Or maybe it's a function of him actually having somewhat of a pocket to step up into. Nobody wanted to get killed stepping into anything last year, and while we're still not "good" up front, we are improved enough that we're starting to see the occasional pocket with space to climb up into it. Or maybe it's a result of something that Chan has seen in his mechanics and made a significant improvement upon. It'd be interesting to see a side by side comparison of last year to see if there's a significant alteration in his delivery that is resulting in improved velocity. I don't know which of these things it is, but the results are undeniable. What was once Fitzpatrick's biggest weakness has definitely improved this year. I'm not goofy enough to believe he's the long term answer at QB, but for the first time I feel like he might be a viable solution as a "veteran" back-up to a young draft pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b stein 22 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (edited) Arm strength no problem. He throws the ball 50 yards in this play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwlUnoJ3bxo Edited October 28, 2010 by b stein 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Arm strength no problem. He throws the ball 50 yards in this play. youtube.com/watch?v=PwlUnoJ3bxo 50 whole yards? That's not exactly what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Jeez, one good game and we can't stop analyzing everything about Fitz. What's next? Comparing his jock size to pro bowl QBs? PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Jeez, one good game and we can't stop analyzing everything about Fitz. What's next? Comparing his jock size to pro bowl QBs? PTR So you don't find the significant change from last year interesting? Sorry to have wasted your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 His arm is plenty strong. The knock on him has been accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b stein 22 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 50 whole yards? That's not exactly what I'm talking about. Really how much farther does he need to throw. He can throw half the field and probably longer if he wanted to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 His arm is plenty strong. The knock on him has been accuracy. For my part I thought one was often a result of the other. He seemed to lack natural arm strength and when he compensated by overthrowing to get additional velocity, his accuracy suffered badly. Maybe last week was an anomaly but that does not appear to be the case right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 So you don't find the significant change from last year interesting? Sorry to have wasted your time. I don't think Fitz's arm is any stronger. He's getting more accurate, though he still gets wild at times. It could also be better O-line play. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 Really how much farther does he need to throw. He can throw half the field and probably longer if he wanted to. I could care less how "far" he can throw. I'm talking about getting the 20yrd out home on time or sticking it in tight windows between the hashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Actually I think Gailey changed his mechanics. I don't know about better arm strength, but his ball is less wobbly this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaBill Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 simple specific exercises can help bolster arm strength. In fitzs case he probably just beefed up his workouts a bit and focused on those areas to help him gain a little velocity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalScotts Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 His arm is plenty strong. The knock on him has been accuracy. ding ding...he has a rocket for an arm. Great arm strength but he some accuracy problems. The first post of where was it last year makes me think you don't go to the games. He has a great arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 I don't think Fitz's arm is any stronger. He's getting more accurate, though he still gets wild at times. It could also be better O-line play. PTR I think it's the wedding ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Hansen Forever Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Actually I think Gailey changed his mechanics. I don't know about better arm strength, but his ball is less wobbly this year. I noticed that too. Last year, he threw a very wobbly ball, but has since smoothed it out. His follow through is also different. It looked like he used to chuck the ball and now its a smooth release. He might just have been the victim of bad coaching and needed an better analysis of his mechanics. I'm holding my breath that last week wasn't a fluke, and that he really has improved. He looks confident, and is actively involved in managing the offense; something Trent was sorely lacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 ding ding...he has a rocket for an arm. Great arm strength but he some accuracy problems. The first post of where was it last year makes me think you don't go to the games. He has a great arm Whoa, let's not go crazy. He has ample arm strength, enough to get by on, let's not make him out to be Elway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talley56 Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Jeez, one good game and we can't stop analyzing everything about Fitz. What's next? Comparing his jock size to pro bowl QBs? PTR But it's been more than one game. He looked good against New England and solid against Jacksonville (our defense couldn't get off the field in the second half in that one). And the offense has looked so much more like it has some life in it these past few games than it has in a few years. That doesn't mean it's a definite that he's going to be consistently good but it's some hope at least and it looks so much better than TE who couldn't throw the ball more than 15 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Freddy Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 For what it's worth, here's a scouting report from the year he was drafted. It seems to be pretty complimentary of his arm strength. Then again, it also says he has great accuracy on short passes: Overview: One of the most skilled quarterbacks in the NCAA Division 1-AA ranks, Ryan is the type of player capable of taking over a game on offense. He is a tough competitor with quick feet, a strong arm and very good accuracy passing in the short area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 For what it's worth, here's a scouting report from the year he was drafted. It seems to be pretty complimentary of his arm strength. Then again, it also says he has great accuracy on short passes: He might have been considered to have a strong arm relative to other 1-AA QB's, but not in this league, imo. ding ding...he has a rocket for an arm. Great arm strength .....He has a great arm I think it's the wedding ring. Are you suggesting that for some mysterious reason one of his arms has suddenly gotten stronger since he got married? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Are you suggesting that for some mysterious reason one of his arms has suddenly gotten stronger since he got married? Simon.....I love you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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