Do or Die Season For Fitzpatrick

[mjt328]

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

[Van_phelaN1]

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.

[It's in My Blood]

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.

[hammie65]

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.

[John from Riverside]

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

[DrFishfinder]

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

[vincec]

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?

[John from Riverside]

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.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Do or Die?

 

Well… he does have an economics degree from Harvard so…

 

[DrFishfinder]

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

[paintmyhouse]

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.

[vincec]

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

[thewildrabbit]

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

[BillsVet]

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

[sllib olaffub]

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?)

[DreReed83]

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.

[thebandit27]

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

[Homey D. Clown]

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.

[stony]

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.

[John from Riverside]

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.

[mattsox]

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.

 

It also depends on his teammates too. WR have to catch, and RBs have to run. OL has to block. Kickers have to kick... etc

 

OF COURSE FITZ IS GONNA BE UNDER THE SCOPE... EVERYONE IS UNDER THE SCOPE... If you don't perform, there are questions to be asked. But this goes with any position on the Bills team. Not just Fitz... Everyone has to play at a high level. If you're not you're gonna be called out...

[T master]

WOW ! The guy sounds like a long time Bills fan . I like to look at things with a more positive out look . I think with a couple more pieces , which some have been added through the draft & some coming back from IR the team is going to be better with out a doubt !!

 

Last year would have been better if the D would have made just 1 or 2 more plays per game , meaning mostly the games we lost in over time by 3 points . If the D would have held those games our record last year would have been 8 & 8 .

 

500% I'll take it ! This year with Easley , Parrish , Batten , & hopefully Merriman all coming off IR & staying healthy (the big if) the team is automatically better , then you through in the draft class this year Darius , Sheppard , Williams , White , Jasper , Rogers + Wanny at coach how can we not be better team .

[BobbyC81]

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.

 

Exactly! That's why I didn't like the signing of Fitz at the time, with them saying they weren't looking for someone to compete with Edwards because they didn't want him looking over his shoulder.

 

That was mediocrity thinking there.

[John from Riverside]

yes because there are never any 1st round bust QB's

 

 

Look.....drafting a QB in the 1st round and having them bust sets your team back YEARS.....we have ALREADY DONE IT. There has already been talk that if the one QB that was in this draft that the bills liked dropped they would have seriously considered him.....

 

You do NOT REACH for a position with a high first round pick.....because if he busts your SCREWED.....you go with the best talent on the board and that is what the bills did.

 

They did the right thing.

[Spiderweb]

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.

 

+1 ........... My biggest concern with Fitz is his lack of consistent accuracy. I don't believe he'll overcome it and thus the love hate relationship will continue.

[The Senator]

'The Amish Rifle' will have a Pro Bowl season - breaking Marino's single-season passing yardage record of 5084 and *Brady's single-season passing TD record of 50 - before announcing to a world TV audience on February 5, 2012 from Lucas Oil Stadium , "I'm going to Disney World!"

 

19 and 0 baby!!!

GO BILLSSS!!!!

 

Reverse The Curse!!!!!

[DrFishfinder]

+1 ........... My biggest concern with Fitz is his lack of consistent accuracy. I don't believe he'll overcome it and thus the love hate relationship will continue.

 

Bingo. Helluva nice rec room, Spidey!

[Adam]

Do or Die? Does that mean if he doesn't have a great season, we cut him, even though we don't have a replacement?

[Pirate Angel]

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.

Describing Fitz's accuracy is tricky, watch the Baltimore breakdown on him on the Bills homepage, he can thread the needle and put it on the money, but occasionally he throws something completely wild. Hes a gunslinger and he has Balls. He reminds me so much of Jon Kitna right now, he can make plays, the team has faith in him, tough player, but a stop gap. I don't expect us to go any farther than the first round of the playoffs with him.

[sllib olaffub]

yes because there are never any 1st round bust QB's

 

 

Look.....drafting a QB in the 1st round and having them bust sets your team back YEARS.....we have ALREADY DONE IT. There has already been talk that if the one QB that was in this draft that the bills liked dropped they would have seriously considered him.....

 

You do NOT REACH for a position with a high first round pick.....because if he busts your SCREWED.....you go with the best talent on the board and that is what the bills did.

 

They did the right thing.

 

I absolutely agree that the Bills did the right thing in this year's draft. I didn't mean we should've taken a QB high this year. There weren't guys talented enough at that position to justify passing on Dareus, or Williams in the second - which I love, I think he'll be a perfect CB for us - and all the way through the draft. I do think we should have given a shot to Alabama's QB in the later rounds, because I think he'll prove better than people predicted, but what I was saying earlier was that we should go after one of the three or four QB's in next year's draft that are projected to be very good, and worthy of a 1st round selection. I think we should do anything it takes to land the best one, and if we can't, then go after the second best one. I know there aren't sure things in picking guys, but some guys are very close to certain to be good in the NFL - guys like Rothlisberger, Rivers, last year's Bradford. We should take the risk on one of the top QB's next year, because we've so far put together enough pieces to surround a good rookie QB with a winning team, and if we're lacking an O-lineman or TE next year, we can pick on up in F.A. if need be.

[vincec]

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.

I'm really just questioning the 3-1 TD/INT ratio as a metric for accuracy, decision making and success. Why don't you look up some QBs and find me some with a 3-1 ratio? Joe Montana achieved it ONCE in his entire career and he was pretty accurate, a good decision maker and a winner I think

Edited June 16, 2011 by vincec

[Meathead]

if he plays 16 games in 2011: 3800 yds, 30 TD, 14 int, 59% compl%

 

if he could get that compl% up a few pts over 60 he would top 4000 yds, but at this point in his career i doubt he can curtail enough of those wild throws to get more than a point-ish improvement over a season

 

so very good production despite lowish accuracy. defense will be vastly improved (how could it not be) but still will surrender leads so fitz will accumulate catch-up stats

 

barring too many oline injuries, should be one of the better offenses in the league. depending on how much progress wanny can get out of the defense i can see this team pressing for a playoff spot late in the season

 

9-7 feels most likely but im still sticking with 10-6 and one of the surprise teams of the season

[Speedy G]

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.

 

If the defense is better, then we will get a better reading on Fitz...

[maryland-bills-fan]

· 230.8 yards passing per game (16th in the NFL)

· 23 total passing touchdowns (tied for 13th in the NFL)

· 57.8 completion percentage (27th in the NFL)

· 81.8 quarterback rating (22nd in the NFL

 

The completion % (and QB rating which depends on it) has serious elements of the success of the running game in it. A strong running game causes the LB and safeties to forego placing emphasis on closely shadowing the receivers and risking geting out of position to try an interception. A strong running game keeps the defense concentrating on holes in the line of schrimmage and gives more room for high % completion, short passes to running backs and tight ends. (think T.Thomas). I agree that Fitz misfires on some easy passes, so I expect he will be just average in completion % and INC's. His smarts will compensate for a lack of top-accuracy. With the team we have right now, I'll accept some INC and incompletes in exchange for Edward's habit of holding onto the ball for either forever or until he got sacked. It is easier on my blood pressure.

Edited June 16, 2011 by maryland-bills-fan

[DrFishfinder]

 

If the defense is better, then we will get a better reading on Fitz...

 

Agreed. The team just didn't have enough offensive fire power to be able to come from behind and win games, especially against the better teams.

[tennesseeboy]

Fitz is a good qb. Could we have gotten a better one in the draft? I doubt it and even if we had picked a qb at 3 it would have been another "Spiller" pick, meaning getting a player you didn't absolutely need when you had positions (defensive line, offensive tackle, perhaps cornerback) where you had ABSOLUTE needs. Fitz will play ok, and could play better if we had an effective pair of tackles.

[billsfreak]

Five things he needs to accomplish in 2011 to prove he's the man

1. Win

2. Win

3. Win

4. Win

5. Win

[John from Riverside]

And that is why its a unfair comparison....they win as a team not just Fitz.

 

- If the defense gives up 200 yards a game on the ground.....we are going to lose

- If Wide receivers drop easy passes and passes that hit them right in the hands on touchdowns......we are going to lose

- If we cant get a pass rush....we are going to lose

 

 

And on and on

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Five things he needs to accomplish in 2011 to prove he's the man

1. Win

2. Win

3. Win

4. Win

5. Win

I don't think the fan base here will accept 5 wins as a significant improvement.

 

Off the top of my head I know that tennesseboy has set the bar higher than that.

 

 

 

[Adam]

It takes a lot more than a QB to win. We need a left tackle. And for all the people who talk about sacks given up....how about the sacks given up on the right side, every time we slide protect to the left- those are on Bell, regardless of what made up stats say!

Edited June 16, 2011 by Adam