Fitzpatrick "I don't want the game to have to come down to me"

[BillsFever21]

This is one of the worse quotes I want to hear from the starting QB of my team. I heard some of the pre-game show on the radio on my way home to watch the game on Sunday and they asked him about the possibility of Spiller and Jackson being out or limited and how that would affect the game. I don't have the exact quote but it went something like this...

"We obviously want them to play because they help the team. If they don't then the game comes down to me having to beat them and then I start pressing and feeling like I need to do too much which leads to bad throws and interceptions"

I realize this would be the case with many QB's but you could tell by how he said it and what he stated that he doesn't have any confidence in him having to shoulder the load to win the game and that he basically feels he will probably screw it up if that's the case.

Do you think somebody like Rodgers, Brady, Manning, etc, would be scared knowing that the outcome of the game is basically going to come down to them? Even above average 2nd tier QB's wouldn't be that scared to throw the game on their shoulders. Winners want the ball in their hands for better or for worse. Fitz isn't a winner and that's why he's never had a winning season in the NFL and usually throws almost as many or more INT's then touchdowns every season.

Of course every QB wants help from the running game but the majority of the good and clutch QB's welcome the pressure of having to win the game and do it many times. At the worse they don't seem scared going into the game that they feel they will basically screw up if that's the case. Hell a lot of the winning teams in the league have QB's that throw the ball twice as much as they run the ball.

Fitzpatrick will make some good throws during a lot of games and get his TD passes but he makes too many horrible throws and interceptions along with it. There are only a handful or so of great QB's and only maybe half of the league or so are good above average QB's but the last thing I want is my QB to be scared to have to make the majority of the plays on his own to win the game.

I'd take Fitzpatrick as a backup for this system anyday but we are in serious need of a decent QB that can make most of the throws on a regular basis. Sure a great QB would be nice but they are hard to find. I'd just take a consistent reliable one for now that can win you some games when the chips are down and lead your team to the playoffs.

This lousy front office really screwed up when they didn't take a chance on Dalton in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was there for the taking and passed on him for Aaron Williams. They made the situation even worse by giving Fitz a big contract after a few good games and then not taking a shot on mid-round QB to develop and give him some competition in at least this years draft either.

[Mr. Miyagi]

The great ones always want the ball when the game is on the line, Fitz.

[coastal]

No one wants to take leadership... Aside from maybe CJ.

thats very telling about the state of the organization.

[BertSquirtgum]

I'm so glad the Bills thought so much of Fitzputrid that they signed him to a multi year contract last year. I felt sick for a week after hearing the news. What a piece of crap quarterback. Great guy, bad quarterback. I wish he was talented, he is the perfect guy for Buffalo but he isn't good enough.

[JoeMama]

Ryan Fitzpatrick #leadership

[BillsFever21]

I'm so glad the Bills thought so much of Fitzputrid that they signed him to a multi year contract last year. I felt sick for a week after hearing the news. What a piece of crap quarterback. Great guy, bad quarterback. I wish he was talented, he is the perfect guy for Buffalo but he isn't good enough.

I couldn't believe it either. I was all for him going into last season as the starter and even after a great start I wanted the season to play out before committing to him on a long-term contract with 24 million in guaranteed money. The Bills jumped the gun on one good month like they did with Dick Jauron. Instead of realizing he can't keep up that pace and waiting to see how more the season played out they panicked once again and showed him the money too soon.

Now that they gave him all the money they feel stuck to having to play him for a season or two so they can get something for the money they spent unless a cheap better option comes around. My guess is they will finally bite the bullet and draft a QB in next years draft. Depending on how high he's drafted he may see some action in the middle of the 2013 season if we're still losing then. If they don't draft one then they should be fired on the spot for showing complete incompetence by not hedging their bets at all on a better option.

Unfortunately Gailey will probably still be around unless we totally choke going down the stretch. Even then Nix will probably still be GM unless he steps down. Even if both of them are gone I don't have any confidence in Wilson finding or forking out the money for a good coach or GM anyway. It's just a revolving door of cheap people to run the ship.

[JoeMama]

Also I get where he's coming from.'

It's hard to keep pace with 5 consecutive touchdowns scored on an overrated prima donna defense.

[BillsFever21]

Also I get where he's coming from.'

It's hard to keep pace with 5 consecutive touchdowns scored on an overrated prima donna defense.

Of course he wouldn't be able to keep up the pace to match that. Not many QB's could but at the very least he could've had some decent drives to give the defense a rest and keep the Patriots offense off the field. Him and the playcalling was terrible in the 2nd half. We just kept throwing the ball and punting after several plays or so. Fitzpatrick had many opportunities in the 2nd half to weather the storm and put some points on the board, chew up some time on the clock and keep the Patriots off the field but he couldn't do it. He had some horrible throws to wide open receivers before it got out of hand and while the game was still on the line.

[gebobs]

I think this is great! I wholeheartedly agree with Fitz.

[BertSquirtgum]

It makes me sick all over again, we have a gutless qb who doesn't want the game to have to come down to him. What a waste.

[BillsFever21]

I couldn't believe it when I heard him say that on the radio. I meant to post it sooner but finally thought of it and got around to it. Even if that's how you truly feel I can't believe he would actually admit it to the media. I can imagine what his teammates think when their starting QB confesses that he doesn't want the ball in his hands to win the game.

[jcdavey]

i know you guys hate rivers, or at least i assume you do

but what i've always loved about rivers, even when he's playing like crap , is that he wants that ball at the end, and he will never throw any of his teammates under the bus

a rivers answer to that question that fitz answered , would have gone something like "we obviously want them to play, but we have guys that will step up and we'll just need to execute, and i've got to make better decisions in the passing game"

[starrymessenger]

Sounds to me like his time as a starter is just about up.

[JoeMama]

Philip Rivers http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q263/JoeMama025/love.gif

Bad year and a half for the kid, but he's a fantastic quarterback.

No WRs, a constantly injured TE, a patchy o-line, the most inept HC besides Gailey, etc etc.

If we could find a way to get Rivers, I'd sell our team's collective soul to the devil.

[THRILLHO]

You are the QB. You are the center of the team. But you want the defense and run game to win the game so you can collect your $60 million bucks and look like a hero because QBs get all the credit for winning.

We don't want the game to come down to you either because you have proven that it shouldn't.

[Bert102176]

because he sux ass and is a pussy assed *****

[BillsFever21]

I'm surprised nobody else heard it and brought it up yet. It was on the Buffalo Bills Radio Network. That's not his quote word-for-word but it's pretty close and that's what the context of it was. He doesn't want the game to be focused on him because it will cause him to pressure his throws which will lead to interceptions, etc. It definitely wasn't something I want my starting QB to hear. It disgusted me. I wish there was a transcript of the entire thing.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Flacco got slammed for calling himself elite, but at the end of the day a QB really does need that confidence.

This is embarassing.

[zone]

I didn't hear the interview but it doesn't seem like something Fitz would say in that context. Is there any possibility he was saying it like "I don't want to have the game being decided by the mistakes I made"? For all Fitz faults he has never eluded to not being confident in himself or the offense and he certainly is not afraid to take chances.

[RedEyE]

So is it safe to say Fitz is a "Realist"?

Seriously. At least the guy knows his own limitations. Now if we can only get Chan to stopping saying that Fitz is going to take this team to the next level, because that is never going to happen. We have seen the best of Fitz. A franchise QB has to be on the top of the list for 2013.

[Mr. Pink]

For your QB to say that you will NEVER win in this league.

There are games where the QB has to step it up and put the game on his shoulders.

Obviously Fitz isn't confident enough in himself to do it.

I'd almost rather cut him today and take my chances with Pigpen just based on that statement.

[malvado78]

So is it safe to say Fitz is a "Realist"?

I'd say so. I think that makes him and Opiv kindred spirits...

[zone]

Is there a link to this interview?

[BertSquirtgum]

For your QB to say that you will NEVER win in this league.

There are games where the QB has to step it up and put the game on his shoulders.

Obviously Fitz isn't confident enough in himself to do it.

I'd almost rather cut him today and take my chances with Pigpen just based on that statement.

Reading this quote was why I said this in the Fitz film thread.

[trapezeus]

fitz of a year ago was a different qb. he had so much more confidence and an INT or two wouldn't kill him. not that he was a stud. but i can see how people thought hte light went on for him. right now we are seeing the start of Trent Edwards weeks after "the hit".

[PTI]

I am on ignore for a lot of people, but it was fairly obvious Fitz was never any good. I never wanted him on the team, and thought he should be cut before the season with the poor finish. For those that love him, or at least think he is somewhat smart, this is the first smart thing he has ever said or done. Maybe one of those head shots on 2 yard runs he willingly takes (which do not show any signs of being smart) finally got to his head.

[trapezeus]

PTI did take a lot of flack... i remember this. and i remember fighting with him. I thought and continue to think he makes the right reads. He just isn't in the ball park with his passes or have the arm strength to open up the field. which is really a shame considering the quality of hte running game. Really a shame.

I've seen turned the (ryan) leaf and am fully on board with running fitz patrick out of here. I've seen enough. He isn't winning against divisional opponents and he's a liability every time he throws the ball.

[OpIv37]

I am on ignore for a lot of people, but it was fairly obvious Fitz was never any good. I never wanted him on the team, and thought he should be cut before the season with the poor finish. For those that love him, or at least think he is somewhat smart, this is the first smart thing he has ever said or done. Maybe one of those head shots on 2 yard runs he willingly takes (which do not show any signs of being smart) finally got to his head.

I don't think this is very smart of him. The smart thing to do would be to not make stupid mistakes trying to force plays. His desperation made a bad situation worse. The whole team got whooped on Sunday and the loss isn't solely his fault, but the way to deal with underperforming teammates isn't by recklessly heaving the ball downfield and making mistakes they teach you not to make on the first day of Pop Warner football.

[Historian]

At this point...I would take "Footsteps Falco".

[imbondz]

anyone have the exact audio of what he said?

[PTI]

I don't think this is very smart of him. The smart thing to do would be to not make stupid mistakes trying to force plays. His desperation made a bad situation worse. The whole team got whooped on Sunday and the loss isn't solely his fault, but the way to deal with underperforming teammates isn't by recklessly heaving the ball downfield and making mistakes they teach you not to make on the first day of Pop Warner football.

I know, I was being sarcastic that this was smart, because I still have no clue how other than going to Harvard that anyone who watches football can legit say he plays smart. He is always the benefit of the "Well, he hade the right read, but he physically could not get the ball there". This happens too often. How can these guys still be coaching and how can Fitz still be the QB. THis QB coach has to not work with Fitz on footwork and mechanics, but seriously making reads quicker and getting that ball out. Fitz is making reads slow compared to other QBs. He sees open guys and cannot deliver. He is not nearly as good at making reads and throwing the ball to the right spot where the receiver will be open. Fitz takes way too many hits beyond the line of scrimmage where I even see college QBs sliding. He is not big enough for that.

The constantly heaving downfield is just what happens in the NFL, it is what Romo did, it is was Favre constantly did, but Fitz does not have near the ability and arm strenght as those guys.

I still contend the Bills are no different than the Jauron teams, they can really only win when the other team makes lots of mistakes. Offense and defense changed spots.

This cycle is just maddening. Williams the supposed defensive guy, to Mularkey the supposed offensive guy, the supposed defensive guy in Jauron, the supposed offensive guy in Gailey. Bills have followed the classic path of back and forth and need to try something new here.

[BillsFever21]

I didn't hear the interview but it doesn't seem like something Fitz would say in that context. Is there any possibility he was saying it like "I don't want to have the game being decided by the mistakes I made"? For all Fitz faults he has never eluded to not being confident in himself or the offense and he certainly is not afraid to take chances.

That's not the exact quote word for word but that's what the drift of it was. If I wasn't driving I would've written his exact statements down then. Even if the context of his quote was as you stated above it still shows that he doesn't want the game to come down to him which means he's scared of having to carry the load and doesn't have the confidence that he can deliver.

I don't know if the Buffalo Bills Radio Network keeps their old broadcast to listen to later. I would love to hear it again. It made me shake my head. Seeing that he averages about 3+ INT a game against the Pats over the past 4 or 5 games I can see why he doesn't want the game to come down to him. He brought as back last year in the 2nd half against them but that is a very far exception to the rule.

Fitzpatrick is a poor man's Tony Romo at best and that's not saying much since Romo has only made the playoffs 3 times in 8 years and only has one victory. He also usually chokes when the big game is on the line.

[Joe Fo Sho]

I am on ignore for a lot of people, but it was fairly obvious Fitz was never any good. I never wanted him on the team, and thought he should be cut before the season with the poor finish. For those that love him, or at least think he is somewhat smart, this is the first smart thing he has ever said or done. Maybe one of those head shots on 2 yard runs he willingly takes (which do not show any signs of being smart) finally got to his head.

My only problem with your posts earlier is that you were so damned annoying with it. Jesus, everything you said was about Fitz...even in threads that were about our defense. I don't care how you feel about him, just don't be a dick about it.

[BertSquirtgum]

Yes, PTI was posting in every thread that Fitz sucks and it got old really fast.

[Thurmal]

I'm at the point with Fitz where I figure he's good for two picks a game, so I actually pull for him to throw them early so he can get them out of the way.

[Meathead]

in the two losses there have been exactly two obvious goats each time: the defense and fitz, in that order

game one was even more fitzs fault than game four, as the three first qtr ints put them into a hole so deep they really couldnt climb out of it. the defense was actually worse overall, but if you want to say fitz deserved half the fault there thats fine

this last game was far more the defense from my point of view. fitz was fine with only the one real non-deflected pick and several nice scoring drives before the defense started seriously caving. fitz just added to an avalanche that had already started

im just not that worried about fitz. hes simply not nearly as bad as many fans are overreacting to, hes driving an offense that is scoring a lot, and outside of game one really has been more part of the solution than of the problem when a game was still winnable

hes just never going to be the elite guy that this league has evolved to favor, meaning hes unlikely to be the single difference in winning a title, but hes good enough to bring a team to the playoffs and give them a shot to compete. its going to be just about impossible for the bills to do better any time soon so for now i really think hes good enough

i guarantee they take a dev qb next spring but this season and next its gonna be fitz so get used to it

[mikemac2001]

Um this is dumb fitz lead us on some game winners but he knows he is a game manager and attempts to make plays when his number is called....he isnt scared to go down a win a game just knows he cant carry the team (do u disagree)

[Mahdi]

Obviously I'm in the minority but I am of the opinion that Fitz is steadily improving as a QB. He is making a lot different throws downfield he wasn't making before, he gets the ball out fast and makes great reads.

Yes he makes mistakes but those can and most likely will be eliminated or at least reduced with time.

The two throws to Chandler were high difficulty throws, the one dropped into FJ's hands was perfect. And the TD passes to SJ this year have been excellent throws into difficult areas.

I still think Fitz will be a good QB for us.

[BertSquirtgum]

Obviously I'm in the minority but I am of the opinion that Fitz is steadily improving as a QB. He is making a lot different throws downfield he wasn't making before, he gets the ball out fast and makes great reads.

Yes he makes mistakes but those can and most likely will be eliminated or at least reduced with time.

The two throws to Chandler were high difficulty throws, the one dropped into FJ's hands was perfect. And the TD passes to SJ this year have been excellent throws into difficult areas.

I still think Fitz will be a good QB for us.

Canada must have some really potent drugs.

[PTI]

The pass to Freddy is a good pass, and one that should be a very, very, very easy pass for a completent NFL QB to make. College QBs drop that easy sideline have WR run under it in every single game. Too bad Fitz typically underthrows by 10 or overthrows by 10 on those pretty easy throws.

[SABURZFAN]

Yes, PTI was posting in every thread that Fitz sucks and it got old really fast.


that's what happens when the truth is told. nobody wants to hear it.

[starrymessenger]

Canada must have some really potent drugs.
Nothing else to do in Ottawa.
Its serious fun!

[BertSquirtgum]

that's what happens when the truth is told. nobody wants to hear it.

PTI took it to another level. While I agreed with him, it was becoming a nuisance.

[Mr. Pink]

PTI took it to another level. While I agreed with him, it was becoming a nuisance.

Agreed. It didn't need to be thrown in basically every thread.

We all know, or at least should, Fitz is a liability. We didn't need it crammed down our throats at every chance possible.

[SABURZFAN]

PTI took it to another level. While I agreed with him, it was becoming a nuisance.


no it wasn't. it was what these idiots needed to hear.

[BertSquirtgum]

There are a few idiots on here that still need to hear it.