mjt328 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Quarterback controversies are nothing new at One Bills Drive. Since Jim Kelly hung up his cleats, fans have debated Flutie vs. Johnson, Bledsoe vs. Losman, Losman vs. Edwards, and so on. Going into 2011, there is no doubt who will be starting under center. But that doesn't mean the season is going to be free of a quarterback controversy. Quite the opposite. Eyes will be glued on Ryan Fitzpatrick's every movement on the field, as fans and the media hope to answer the question on everyone's minds: Is he the Bills long-term answer? Full article at http://buffalobillsstampede.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-or-die-season-for-fitzpatrick.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van_phelaN1 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 All good points made in the article. Something more could have been said for the support from his team mates. I really think they admire his leadership qualities. When you break it down though, the article is dead on. Most reasonable Bills fans know Fitz doesn't suck but we also know he has a lot of improving to do if he is going to hang around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's in My Blood Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Full article at http://buffalobillsstampede.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-or-die-season-for-fitzpatrick.html Actually a quite good write-up. The Fitzpatrick debate will be amplified ten-fold this season. If we're still talking about a wild-card birth in week 12 , then I would consider the 2011 campaign somewhat of a success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammie65 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 It is completely clear that this year (if there is one along with pre-season to have the time he needs with his receivers) is a make or break year for Fitzy. If he can't do most of the things suggested in this article then yes, we will need to draft that QB of the future in 2012 and I hope he is there for us to do so. I like and believe in Fitzy but the proof is in the pudding as they say. That is why we need to keep Evans and Parrish around and not trade away familiar and proven receivers. Are they hall of famers? No, but to keep playing musical rosters with better than average players for unknowns is risky. I'm also hoping that Demetrius Bell and the rest of the O-Line can continue to gel and get better at giving him time to throw and pick apart defenses. Keep the fingers crossed and hope the CBA is settled before mid July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 They keep pointing to the end of the year......is anybody going to take into account that the team was beat to crap by seasons end and a lot of Fitz wide receivers were backups? We didn't even have Nelson by that time for christ sake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFishfinder Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) We will love Fitz one minute and curse him the next.....most likely all year long. He'll be entertaining, no doubt about that. And I like the guy's guts, but I'm just not sold on the idea that he'll be too much more than what we've already seen. Boy, would I love to be proven wrong. Edited June 14, 2011 by DrFishfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 They keep pointing to the end of the year......is anybody going to take into account that the team was beat to crap by seasons end and a lot of Fitz wide receivers were backups? We didn't even have Nelson by that time for christ sake Can Brohm use this as an excuse too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Can Brohm use this as an excuse too? Um no because there was at least some semblence of an offense with Fitz on the field..... This team LITERALLY fell apart when Brohm replaced him....I mean it was really bad. I didn't realize just how much Fitz carried this team until he wasnt playing last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Do or Die? Well… he does have an economics degree from Harvard so… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFishfinder Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Um no because there was at least some semblence of an offense with Fitz on the field..... This team LITERALLY fell apart when Brohm replaced him....I mean it was really bad. I didn't realize just how much Fitz carried this team until he wasnt playing last year. Billy Joe Hobert > Brohm Billy Joe McAllister > Brohm Billy Joe Wingnut Flapnoodle Jr. > Brohm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintmyhouse Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Um no because there was at least some semblence of an offense with Fitz on the field..... This team LITERALLY fell apart when Brohm replaced him....I mean it was really bad. I didn't realize just how much Fitz carried this team until he wasnt playing last year. Gotcha like they looked any better against New England the week before. New England gave Fitz yards all game and that is why he had some yards passing (only 3 points on all running plays BTW), Bills took Brohm out or else I am sure he could have got some garbage time stats too. The Fitz lovers have bought hook, line, and sinker what I try tell everyone was a mercy benching of Fitz. Bills know Jets are a huge blitzing team and were going to kill Brohm from the start, Brohm looked no worse with 1 week with #1 reps than Fitz did the week before in his 14th week with #1 reps. He was fading fast, now the front office has sold you how good Fitz is based on Brohm's play and that is sad. Fitz is like eating dog food, and then you are fed dog crap (Brohm) and somehow you came to love to love dog food in process and it is sad and makes no sense. Bills could have won 4 games last year if Brohm played all year, if Edwards played all year, who cares, keep in mind, in 3 of the wins the Bills had 17, 14, and 13 points, Fitz ended up being at about the very bottom of all qualifying QB for stats in almost every category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) Full article at http://buffalobillsstampede.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-or-die-season-for-fitzpatrick.html Most of this goes without saying. I do question the 3-1 TD to INT ratio however. I appreciate what the writer is saying but that's not the kind of QB that Fitz is. He is more of a gunslinger and he will NEVER reach 3-1. That doesn't mean that he can't win. Neither Aaron Rogers (the Super Bowl champ) nor Peyton Manning (the best QB in the NFL, IMO) achieved a 3-1 ratio last season. Edited June 15, 2011 by vincec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Um no because there was at least some semblance of an offense with Fitz on the field..... This team LITERALLY fell apart when Brohm replaced him....I mean it was really bad. I didn't realize just how much Fitz carried this team until he wasnt playing last year. There are still many fans out there that still don't realize just how bad the entire team was last season and the only reason the team looked decent in some games was Fitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) Most of this goes without saying. I do question the 3-1 TD to INT ratio however. I appreciate what the writer is saying but that's not the kind of QB that Fitz is. He is more of a gunslinger and he will NEVER reach 3-1. That doesn't mean that he can't win. Neither Aaron Rogers (the Super Bowl champ) nor Peyton Manning (the best QB in the NFL, IMO) achieved a 3-1 ratio last season. Let's not conflate the argument by injecting Rodgers and P. Manning here. For all the talk about RF's TD passes, he also averaged more than an INT per game. And given Buffalo's defense, their anemic offense can't afford to turn the ball over like Green Bay or Indianapolis. Rodgers and P. Manning have offenses that can score points in bunches. Buffalo failed to score 20 points in 12 of 16 games last season. By comparison, GB was 13 of 16 and IND was 14 of 16 scoring 20 or more points per game. It's obvious the Bills won't be among the league leaders in points scored in 2011. Buffalo needs a QB who is efficient and a HC who can take that guy and develop a short to intermediate passing game which has a lot of completions and keeps their defense off the field. A gunslinger is not what the Bills need right now who happens to have a below average arm and a high turnover rate. Edited June 15, 2011 by BillsVet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I can't believe anyone except our opponents would entertain the notion of passing on a franchise caliber QB in next year's draft. Fitz is the perfect NFL backup QB. He has all the characteristics of a perfect backup QB. He's quiet, he's a team player, he doesn't cause waves, he's very intelligent and can help in a player/coach kind of way, he knows the system enough to come in and run the offense when need be, and he knows he only has a limited amount of opportunities, so he's going to throw it up and give our recievers a chance. He'd be one of the league's best backups. However, he is one of the leagues worst starters. The main reason? Accuracy. If he could fix his accuracy, he'd be a Drew Brees like Qb. I don't think he can, though. He is too inconsistent. And as a Bills fan, the only thing I'm interested in is being a Championship team. We've been so bad for so long we're sitting here entertaining the possibility of keeping a mediocre QB as our starter over drafting a true franchise caliber replacement if Fitz manages to have a decent year. I say you don't reach for average, or a little above average. You shoot for greatness, and at every position you look to, ideally, assemble the best of the best in the league. We need to draft a first round QB if we want to be great again. Or, we trade for a guy who is capable of playing that way (who? I don't know that there is a guy out there. Vick would have been one - although I'm fine with passing on him due to his character. Is there someone else available?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreReed83 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I still don't see him being a long term solution but so far he's been the best QB we've had since Kelly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 (edited) We will love Fitz one minute and curse him the next.....most likely all year long. He'll be entertaining, no doubt about that. And I like the guy's guts, but I'm just not sold on the idea that he'll be too much more than what we've already seen. Boy, would I love to be proven wrong. Agree with this. Can Brohm use this as an excuse too? We're talking about 2 different worlds here. Fitz was effective at some point, Brohm has been absolutely pathetic every time he's seen the field. Gotcha like they looked any better against New England the week before. New England gave Fitz yards all game and that is why he had some yards passing (only 3 points on all running plays BTW), Bills took Brohm out or else I am sure he could have got some garbage time stats too. The Fitz lovers have bought hook, line, and sinker what I try tell everyone was a mercy benching of Fitz. Bills know Jets are a huge blitzing team and were going to kill Brohm from the start, Brohm looked no worse with 1 week with #1 reps than Fitz did the week before in his 14th week with #1 reps. He was fading fast, now the front office has sold you how good Fitz is based on Brohm's play and that is sad. Fitz is like eating dog food, and then you are fed dog crap (Brohm) and somehow you came to love to love dog food in process and it is sad and makes no sense. Bills could have won 4 games last year if Brohm played all year, if Edwards played all year, who cares, keep in mind, in 3 of the wins the Bills had 17, 14, and 13 points, Fitz ended up being at about the very bottom of all qualifying QB for stats in almost every category. You really are on a crusade, aren't you? If you're going to make statements like the bolded above, you should make sure they're accurate. Fitz finished 16th in yds/game, 13th in TD passes, 21st in YPA (that's not the very bottom, in fact it's not even bottom 1/3), 20th in fewest INTs thrown, 19th in first downs, 18th in completions of 20+ yards, 14th in completions of 40+ yards, 8th in sacks taken, and 22nd in QB rating. http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=0&season=2010&seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&conference=null&statisticCategory=PASSING&d-447263-s=PASSING_COMPLETION_PERCENTAGE So by "at or near the very bottom of almost every category" you mean that he finished 27th in completion percentage? Okay then, glad we cleared that up. I can't believe anyone except our opponents would entertain the notion of passing on a franchise caliber QB in next year's draft. Fitz is the perfect NFL backup QB. He has all the characteristics of a perfect backup QB. He's quiet, he's a team player, he doesn't cause waves, he's very intelligent and can help in a player/coach kind of way, he knows the system enough to come in and run the offense when need be, and he knows he only has a limited amount of opportunities, so he's going to throw it up and give our recievers a chance. He'd be one of the league's best backups. However, he is one of the leagues worst starters. The main reason? Accuracy. If he could fix his accuracy, he'd be a Drew Brees like Qb. I don't think he can, though. He is too inconsistent. And as a Bills fan, the only thing I'm interested in is being a Championship team. We've been so bad for so long we're sitting here entertaining the possibility of keeping a mediocre QB as our starter over drafting a true franchise caliber replacement if Fitz manages to have a decent year. I say you don't reach for average, or a little above average. You shoot for greatness, and at every position you look to, ideally, assemble the best of the best in the league. We need to draft a first round QB if we want to be great again. Or, we trade for a guy who is capable of playing that way (who? I don't know that there is a guy out there. Vick would have been one - although I'm fine with passing on him due to his character. Is there someone else available?) I think the draft came down to Chan and Buddy not really believing that there was a franchise QB available to them, otherwise I think they would have pounced; I'm not so sure I disagree with that approach either. Edited June 15, 2011 by thebandit27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homey D. Clown Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I honestly think this is more a do or die situation for the Bills across the board. So many positions that have under-performing players seems unfair to just make this a do-or-die situation for just one guy. Evans, Maybin, the rest of the receiving corps, Troup, Carrington, I could go on and on with which players need to begin playing well, or begin their post NFL careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stony Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I still don't see him being a long term solution but so far he's been the best QB we've had since Kelly. You do remember Bledsoe and Flutie had Pro Bowl years when they were on the team? I'd take either over Fitz, and I like him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Gotcha like they looked any better against New England the week before. New England gave Fitz yards all game and that is why he had some yards passing (only 3 points on all running plays BTW), Bills took Brohm out or else I am sure he could have got some garbage time stats too. The Fitz lovers have bought hook, line, and sinker what I try tell everyone was a mercy benching of Fitz. Bills know Jets are a huge blitzing team and were going to kill Brohm from the start, Brohm looked no worse with 1 week with #1 reps than Fitz did the week before in his 14th week with #1 reps. He was fading fast, now the front office has sold you how good Fitz is based on Brohm's play and that is sad. Fitz is like eating dog food, and then you are fed dog crap (Brohm) and somehow you came to love to love dog food in process and it is sad and makes no sense. Bills could have won 4 games last year if Brohm played all year, if Edwards played all year, who cares, keep in mind, in 3 of the wins the Bills had 17, 14, and 13 points, Fitz ended up being at about the very bottom of all qualifying QB for stats in almost every category. The last time I checked New England is a pretty good team You are posting bad stats which hurts your arguement Guys.....Fitz is not an accurate QB.....and while I like him for now I also agree we need to start thinking about the future (hopefully next draft) but you cant throw all your eggs in the "maybe a QB might be good if we draft him" basket.....I actually liked Andy Dalton who went WAAAAYYYY to high in the draft but would have liked to have him in the 3rd round as "to groom" guy.....but the fact is Fitz is good enough for RIGHT NOW and if he has a solid defense to back him up he could be even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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