Gugny Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 In a sport where starters can lose their jobs due to injury, unless he was in a coma, I wouldn't expect Fitz (or any other starting QB with a brain) to sit out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 After the Bills lost to the Chargers in week 14, they were all but eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8. My question is... if Fitz had been playing hurt since week 8, then why did he play in the last 3 games? They had almost nothing to play for and if he was hurt to the point where it was affecting his performance, then why not start Thigpen instead? My guess is that the last 3 games were well past the point where it would have been medically helpful to bench Fitz, and the offense was at least competing most of the time and building some experience during that last 3 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalScotts Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 because you owe the other 47 guys your best chance to win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Because he is the guy you bet the farm on. What benefit does the team get in terms of fighting and playing hard if the coach gives up on the season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 After the Bills lost to the Chargers in week 14, they were all but eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8. My question is... if Fitz had been playing hurt since week 8, then why did he play in the last 3 games? They had almost nothing to play for and if he was hurt to the point where it was affecting his performance, then why not start Thigpen instead? I agree with the OP, why not see what the back ups can do? Obviously Gailey didn't think enough of Thigpen to sit Fitz when he was hurt so clearly he doesn't think Thigpen can win games when the games matter. Still why not put him out there if the games no longer matter to see if he is even worthy of the money he is making as a backup. Fitz threw 4 TD's vs 9 INTs in his last 4 games. My presonal take is Thipen would have been destroyed behind that haphazard O line. Gailey calling 5 WR sets with one decent WR... who btw was playing thru a groin injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 First of all.. yes we can move on. But my point is that many people on this board use Fitz's injury as an excuse for his poor performance in the second half of last year. If he was hurt.. why was he playing when it didnt matter? This thread is brought up to make a point to label 'reasons' as 'excuses' to try to slant viewpoint to poster's point of view. Some players will bring up every nick and scratch (i.e. Emmitt who used to talk injuries up) and other players just treat them as things they have needed to overcome, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Beard Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 The previous year they put Brohm in when it didn't matter any more and the O-line was pretty beat up. He looked terrible, and he was released shortly thereafter. I wonder what would have happened if Thigpen had been put in under similar circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Romes Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 The reason is we had no franchise qb hopeful on the bench. It's okay to have a weak armed game managing running qb backing up when you are a Super Bowl contender. When you are not a super bowl contender you need a big armed franchise qb hopeful as the second string qb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 The previous year they put Brohm in when it didn't matter any more and the O-line was pretty beat up. He looked terrible, and he was released shortly thereafter. I wonder what would have happened if Thigpen had been put in under similar circumstances. Fitz couldn't run a stretch play. He hadnt practiced all week. Dont forget he actually came out of the patriots game the week earlier because he was hurt, then Trent pulled his one yard loss on a pass play, an incompletion then getting hurt himself and Fitz had to go back in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanInUticaTampa Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 After the Bills lost to the Chargers in week 14, they were all but eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8. My question is... if Fitz had been playing hurt since week 8, then why did he play in the last 3 games? They had almost nothing to play for and if he was hurt to the point where it was affecting his performance, then why not start Thigpen instead? Injured players play all the time. And it isn't like we had nothing to play for. The team needed to play its best in order to grow. And if Fitz took the bench for an injury like that, he would lose respect of players like Stevie who played all season with a groin injury. Thete are so many reasons to start Fitz in those final games. Players play injured all the time. It isn't something that just Fitz does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsrhody Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 I know injured players do play. But if it was so clearly affecting Fitz's play, then I think he should have sat out. 4 tds to 9 ints is just about as bad as it gets. When he was in there for the last 3 games he gave the bills a poor chance to win based on how he was playing. Why not put a healthy Thigpen in and see if he could have done better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benderbender Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I view it as admirable that Fitz and the coaches don't talk about what ever the injury was, especially in light of the criticism they have taken. No excuse type of mentality. They don't talk about the injury because it means the coaching staff felt that a 50% healthy Fitz is better than a 100% healthy Thigpen. They don't want to hear anyone ask why we paid him 3 million dollars to hold a clipboard and not to play when the starter is injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeyBomb Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Actually Fitz did talk about it and he said he soeant like to talk about it because he feels it didn't impact his play. And he doesn't want to make excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I agree that the question is VERY relevant. I've raised this point various times, when the opportunity presents itself: either Vince Young looks better than we're hearing, or the Bills are putting their whole season on Fitz's health. Now, I know most teams go into a season expecting their first QB to play just about every game. Still, it IS an issue, IMO, if the QB is hurt, to the point where he is no longer effective, and AN INNEFFECTIVE QB is STILL better than the backup. If that is the case, you might as well throw Brad Smith out there. Again, it is a new season, with lots of excitement. The point, though, is why haven't they improved the backup situation. Vince Young appears to be the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meathead Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 you play him in meaningless games to give him a chance to pull out of it. youve just given him a big contract, he has sucked pretty much every game since, so if he is able to play he should keep working to turn things around for himself even with some external reasons why he was struggling (bad defense, injured teammates, sore ribs) he still didnt execute very well. the only way to get out of that is repetition and the best way to get repetition is game play. you dont gain much if anything by playing thigpen instead at that point. perhaps if they had a developmental qb they were trying to bring along you can justify a couple late season starts there, but not a mediocre veteran you hope never gets into the real games guys play hurt all the time. as long as there was no further damage youve got to let your top qb continue to play if he can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloFan68 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I would rather have Levi Brown or JP Losman over Thigpen. I really hope Vince Young can take our #2 spot this year. TT has got to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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