Rich Gannon

[Kurt Warner]

I think the best comparison to Fitz is Rich Gannon. A real journeyman until he had about 8 years in the league and then started to get it in KC with some playing time. Went to Oakland and had four great years. He was smart, not overly gifted, but finally got a chance and was a good leader for the right system. Fitz is way ahead of that schedule. I don;t see why he can't have a half dozen very good years in him and continue to be this good in this system. If Gailey and Fitz are still here in five or six years some great things will have happened for the Bills.

YEAR TEAM G CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT FUM RAT

1987 MIN 4 2 6 33.3 18 3.0 0 12 1 0 2.8

1988 MIN 3 7 15 46.7 90 6.0 0 19 0 0 66.0

1990 MIN 14 182 349 52.1 2278 6.5 16 78 16 0 68.9

1991 MIN 15 211 354 59.6 2166 6.1 12 50 6 2 81.5

1992 MIN 12 159 279 57.0 1905 6.8 12 60 13 2 72.9

1993 WSH 8 74 125 59.2 704 5.6 3 54 7 3 59.6

1995 KC 2 7 11 63.6 57 5.2 0 18 0 0 76.7

1996 KC 4 54 90 60.0 491 5.5 6 25 1 1 92.4

1997 KC 9 98 175 56.0 1144 6.5 7 47 4 4 79.8

1998 KC 12 206 354 58.2 2305 6.5 10 80 6 6 80.1

1999 OAK 16 304 515 59.0 3840 7.5 24 50 14 6 86.5

2000 OAK 16 284 473 60.0 3430 7.3 28 84 11 6 92.4

2001 OAK 16 361 549 65.8 3828 7.0 27 49 9 9 95.5

2002 OAK 16 418 618 67.6 4689 7.6 26 75 10 7 97.3

2003 OAK 7 125 225 55.6 1274 5.7 6 46 4 2 73.5

2004 OAK 3 41 68 60.3 524 7.7 3 58 2 3 86.9

Career 157 2533 4206 60.2 28743 6.8 180 84 104 51 84.7

[agardin]

Gannon did win an NFL MVP award in 2002, if Fitz can replicate that feat that would be awesome.

[bowery4]

It is funny that someone with the name Kurt Warner made this post, he kind of reminds me more of him.

[BillsObserver]

I don't think Fitzmagic should be compared to anyone because he is truly ONE of a kind. Hands down the smartest guy in football.

[T master]

With all Fitz has done though there are still a few that think he has no part in the future of the Bills which personally i think is crazy !!

 

If he's not a Bills type player then i"ve never seen one . This guy is hard work , lead by example , humble , & as Red White & Buffalo Bills blue collar as they come !!!

 

I think Gailey see's it too & hopefully Fitz will stay around for a long while , not only to help bring the Bills back to winning status but to teach who ever may be the next generation QB for the team .

 

GO BILLS !!!

[Fan in San Diego]

With all Fitz has done though there are still a few that think he has no part in the future of the Bills which personally i think is crazy !!

 

If he's not a Bills type player then i"ve never seen one . This guy is hard work , lead by example , humble , & as Red White & Buffalo Bills blue collar as they come !!!

 

I think Gailey see's it too & hopefully Fitz will stay around for a long while , not only to help bring the Bills back to winning status but to teach who ever may be the next generation QB for the team .

 

GO BILLS !!!

 

Fitz is the best QB we have had since Jim Kelly and I think he can even play better than Kelly. He just needs one more playmaker at QR and TE and then we are unbeatable.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

[Magox]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

I disagree completely. One of the major things Fitz has working for him is his "smarts", his ability to read defenses quickly. He has punished teams that have blitzed him and he has made our O-line look better than what they really are simply because he gets the ball out quickly.

[saundena]

It is funny that someone with the name Kurt Warner made this post, he kind of reminds me more of him.

As much as I love what Fitz is doing for us, he's not KW. KW will be a first ballot HOF. He single-handedly is the reason ARI went to the playoffs and SB. And if it wasn't for their crappy defense letting Pittsburgh roll down the field, he would have gotten them a SB victory. KW was that team and without him, they are garbage. Fitz indeed does elevate our offense, but not like KW did for ARI

 

Fitz is the best QB we have had since Jim Kelly and I think he can even play better than Kelly. He just needs one more playmaker at QR and TE and then we are unbeatable.

Slow down. UNBEATABLE, HA, forget offense, we need defense. We score plenty of points to win games, but we also surrender too many points, yards and minutes and THAT'S primarily why we are 2-8!

 

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

 

I partially agree with this. Fitz does have the ability to pick apart a defense- which he's been doing on an ongoing basis with Buffalo, but I think his true nature is more Favre-esque. That means we will see plenty of amazing play as our offense continues to improve. He'll make adjustments at the line and punish teams when they blitz us-- but will also see the errant INT from time to time.

Edited December 4, 2010 by saundena

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

I couldn't disagree with you more.

 

Jeff Hangartner actually said that he defers to Fitz to make the line protection calls. Fitz is an extremely intelligent quarterback. Working behind an inexperienced and marginally talented offensive line with inexperienced and marginally talented receivers, he's put up great numbers. He always has his protection and receivers in the right positions before he snaps the ball. His efficiency is high, and his errors are low in spite of working in his second offense in two years.

 

Fitz's not afraid of taking chances but that doesn't make him an all-out gunslinger. I think it's pretty obvious from watching him play that he's very cerebral. In fact that's always been the book on him.

 

And on a different subject, the Harvard thing…it's meaningless. Trent was very intelligent and couldn't play the position.

 

If where you went to school had anything to do with actual football intelligence and football instincts, the NFL would be populated with lots of Ivy League Quarterbacks.

 

People who cite Fitz's intelligence almost always accompany it with the Harvard mention. And that mention couldn't be less relevant.

[Doc]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

Gannon didn't become a great player until his 12th season. And he had only 3 good/great seasons, all after that one.

[justnzane]

I'm sorry, I think that the Raiders of the early 2000's were more of a byproduct of the "clear", which we all know that Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi were receiving from Balco.

 

On that team, you had the core of the team well over 30 or old for the position in the 02 season. The following players were old and key members of that team: Jerry Rice, Gannon, Rod Woodson, Tim Brown, Bill Romanowski (known user), Trace Armstrong, Licoln Kennedy, John Parella, and Charlie Garner. That is a sizeable amount of their team. You can't ignore the mental issues of Barret Robbins that arose the week of the Super Bowl as well. In addition, a lot of their good young talent had quick descents and short careers (Jerry Porter, Phillip Buchanon, Derrick Gibson, and Rod Coleman).

 

I really think that Gannon was on the juice with a large portion of that team. So, I hope that Fitz is not emulating Gannon.

 

 

[Buffalo Soldier N.O.]

With all Fitz has done though there are still a few that think he has no part in the future of the Bills which personally i think is crazy !!

 

If he's not a Bills type player then i"ve never seen one . This guy is hard work , lead by example , humble , & as Red White & Buffalo Bills blue collar as they come !!!

 

I think Gailey see's it too & hopefully Fitz will stay around for a long while , not only to help bring the Bills back to winning status but to teach who ever may be the next generation QB for the team .

 

GO BILLS !!!

What do you mean blue collar? He is an east coast liberal elite who went to Harvard!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

 

Got to disagree with you. Not on "not comparing Fitz and Gannon", but on Fitz not being a smart quarterback.

I'll give this the benefit of a serious response.

 

My take: Fitz's abilities for a cerebral game and to pick defenses apart are the primary reason the Bills' O hasn't continued to suck wet diapers like first 2 games.

 

I would put Fitz mistakes in 4 classes:

1. excitability - hurries if the play clock is too close or his "read" is he gonna get clobbered, and muffs a throw. The shovel pass in the "Fitzpatrick Miked Up" video clip that's running around the web is one instance of that. This is something a bit more seasoning should resolve.

2. overconfidence in his receivers. Sometimes they still shuck when he expects them to jive, and sometimes he forces it in. Kelly could count on his receivers to turn into DBs when the ball went where the DB had a better play and they were mean sucka DBs too. This is something more time to get on the same page (more throws in training camp) and more seasoning on the receivers will help

3. hurries - Fitz is making the line look better than they are, but some games he is consistantly throwing with guys in his face. He's not tall enough to do that without tipped balls. This should get better as the line improves and gains more experience playing together.

4. Bull Durham Throw At the Mascot. Sometimes it seems his arm just doesn't send the ball where he intends it to go. This is the stuff that concerns me most 'cuz it seems like a fairly steady fraction of his throws will just be "WTF?" and it's not clear to me what would fix that. Unless it's nerves like "class 1" and will improve if he settles in.

 

Just my opinion.

 

What do you mean blue collar? He is an east coast liberal elite who went to Harvard!

 

Leaving the canonical opinion of the Red Brick Schoolhouse Up the Chuck aside, Fitz is from Gilbert, Arizona, once known as the "Hay Capitol of the World"

 

The Hay Capital of the World

 

In 1902, the Arizona Eastern Railway asked for donations of right of way in order to establish a rail line between Phoenix and Florence. A rail siding was established on property owned by William "Bobby" Gilbert. The siding, and the town that sprung up around it, eventually became known as Gilbert. Gilbert was a prime farming community, fueled by the construction of the Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals in 1911. It remained an agriculture town for many years, and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" until the late 1920s. Gilbert began to take its current shape during the 1970s when the Town Council approved a strip annexation that encompassed 53 square miles of county land. Although the population was only 1,971 in 1970 the Council realized that Gilbert would eventually grow and develop much like the neighboring communities of Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler. This proved to be a farsighted decision as Gilbert positioned itself for growth in the 1980s and beyond.

 

It's a relatively affluent community today and was probably on its way up when Fitz went to high school there.

[Meathead]

What do you mean blue collar? He is an east coast liberal elite who went to Harvard!

yes but he has the heart of a redneck

[bowery4]

Fitz actually reminds me more of Jack Kemp than anyone.

[Peace]

Honestly, it's a joke to compare Fitz and Gannon. Gannon was truly a smart QB--one of the most cerebral guys in his prime, who could pick defenses apart based on his mastery of the offense.

 

Fitz, notwithstanding his Harvard degree, isn't a "smart" QB. I think he compares better to a guy like Favre--more of a gun-slinger who is prone to making really stupid mistakes.

 

Some are saying they disagree. I'll just say you're 100% wrong. Fitz is succeeding precisely because of his ability to read a defense, set his linemen perfectly, and make a good decision a lot. Does he take chances? Yes. But that doesn't mean he's not smart.

[Doc]

Some are saying they disagree. I'll just say you're 100% wrong. Fitz is succeeding precisely because of his ability to read a defense, set his linemen perfectly, and make a good decision a lot. Does he take chances? Yes. But that doesn't mean he's not smart.

He's taking chances because he's seen what not taking chances did for Trent and the Bills' offense.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I would put Fitz mistakes in 4 classes:

1. excitability - hurries if the play clock is too close or his "read" is he gonna get clobbered, and muffs a throw. The shovel pass in the "Fitzpatrick Miked Up" video clip that's running around the web is one instance of that. This is something a bit more seasoning should resolve.

2. overconfidence in his receivers. Sometimes they still shuck when he expects them to jive, and sometimes he forces it in. Kelly could count on his receivers to turn into DBs when the ball went where the DB had a better play and they were mean sucka DBs too. This is something more time to get on the same page (more throws in training camp) and more seasoning on the receivers will help

3. hurries - Fitz is making the line look better than they are, but some games he is consistantly throwing with guys in his face. He's not tall enough to do that without tipped balls. This should get better as the line improves and gains more experience playing together.

4. Bull Durham Throw At the Mascot. Sometimes it seems his arm just doesn't send the ball where he intends it to go. This is the stuff that concerns me most 'cuz it seems like a fairly steady fraction of his throws will just be "WTF?" and it's not clear to me what would fix that. Unless it's nerves like "class 1" and will improve if he settles in.

 

Guys, I might have overstated my point in saying Fitz is not a "smart" QB. I don't disagree that he can read defenses well and has done an excellent job setting protections.

 

The problem I see is that he has way too many brain lapses, where he makes inexplicably bad throws. The poster I quote above (Hopeful) explains those mistakes in 4 categories. I'm not sure what I think. Sometimes he just makes horrible decisions. Case in point, do you guys recall late in the Steelers game on a crucial drive, he threw to Evans into triple coverage and the Steelers DB drops a shoe-string catch pick? Or his pick to end the game against the Bears? Those were just really bad decisions at really important times. Those are mistakes that a Favre-esque gunslinger makes on a consistent basis, not a cerebral Peyton Manning-type.

[Rob's House]

Guys, I might have overstated my point in saying Fitz is not a "smart" QB. I don't disagree that he can read defenses well and has done an excellent job setting protections.

 

The problem I see is that he has way too many brain lapses, where he makes inexplicably bad throws. The poster I quote above (Hopeful) explains those mistakes in 4 categories. I'm not sure what I think. Sometimes he just makes horrible decisions. Case in point, do you guys recall late in the Steelers game on a crucial drive, he threw to Evans into triple coverage and the Steelers DB drops a shoe-string catch pick? Or his pick to end the game against the Bears? Those were just really bad decisions at really important times. Those are mistakes that a Favre-esque gunslinger makes on a consistent basis, not a cerebral Peyton Manning-type.

Peyton Manning would never throw a bone-headed pick on the potential game winning drive when his team is already in position to kick a game tying FG.