Try if you will, to forget what has happened in the first 2 months of the 2012 season. Pretend the season opening loss to the Jets was just the 5th preseason game. That fourth quarter against the Patriots at the Ralph was like the first semester your kid went to college (close your eyes and wish it away). The Bills flight to San Francisco was canceled and 4th quarter meltdown against the Titans was just a replay of an old game with the Oilers on NFL Network. You have to toss away the few good moments too, like the wins over the Browns, the luck against the Cardinals and the blowout of the Chiefs. This is trying to look at Sunday's game for what it was not for what it means in what is now apparently another lost season
(Big Picture) Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the long term quarterback of the Bills. Ok. I believe everyone, including Buddy Nix, has finally figured that out.
(Sunday) If you weren't happy with the way Fitz played you don't like football. Fitzpatrick played, dare I say it, a little like Jim Kelly Sunday. Now don't go searching for my email just yet. I am not saying Fitz is Jim Kelly. That is silly. But Sunday Fitzpatrick played strong. He played tough. He whipped the ball downfield (and yes, with Ryan Fitzpatrick downfield is 25 yards). He stood up to a "punk" Brandon Spikes. In the 4th quarter he drove the Bills to the one foot line, then to the end zone, then gave hie team a chance to win (even after losing 2 players and 2 timeouts to injury) Right now your are screaming at your computer and saying "But what about the interception to end the game!) You are right. Fitz threw the ball to where the rookie, TJ Graham, should have been. It was largely Graham's fault and he took the blame as a rookie mistake. Fitzpatrick's error was throwing a ball toward the rookie. Of course Fitz did not place the blame anywhere else and accepted the loss.
When you tell me that Ryan Fitzpatrick should not be the long term starter on this team and I all with you. But when you rip him for Sunday, you lose me. I am on twitter and reading all the "Fitzpatrick isn't a winner...typical Fitz. Another game ending INT tweets...) Sunday he put 31 points on the board and had 35 first downs against the Patriots. He kept bringing his team back from 1) defensive mistakes 2) horrendous referee calls 3) offensive mistakes. He made Donald Jones look like Andre Reed (again, stay with me, I am trying to make a point) . Fitz, dare I say it, was the equal of Tom Brady in Foxboro Sunday.
Next season I expect the Bills to have another legitimate quarterback on the roster. I hope it's the franchise QB Bills fans want and deserve to see on the field. But because of front office mistakes throughout the last few years, Fitzpatrick is the best you have in a BIlls uniform right now. We know big picture that is not good enough. But Sunday the Bills did not lose because of the quarterback. Forget the first 2 months of the year and look at Sunday as 60 minutes of football and you'd say the quarterback gave you a great Sunday. If he played like this every week then quarterback would not be the problem it is for this franchise. But he hasn't so it is.
Now we can go back to
(Big Picture) The Bills are 3-6. Another non-playoff season is on its way. Quarterback is a priority in the off season. There could be a new coach running the show next year. Can we go back to pretending again?
Mike Catalana
MCatalana@13wham.com
