WFT signs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal worth $10 million!... Oh, Oh, Oh Fitzmagic... ya knooowwwww!

[Burgundy Yoda]

59 minutes ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

Yeah, you do need a super duper QB to win a SB.

 

At least in the last 30 years or so....🤷‍♂️

Since the 2001 Superbowl, 6 of the last 21 Superbowls were won because of defense w/a mediocre or above average QB (Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Eli Manning x2, Joe Flacco, Wentz/Foles). 7 of those 21 winning teams were Brady-led. If you take the GOAT out of the equation, that leaves 8 teams that were lead by a true game-changing franchise QB/signal caller. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning x2, Ben Roethlisberger x2, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson. So it's 6 defense heavy to 8 franchise QB-led teams.

 

Brady is an enigma, he is the GOAT, but without him you'd see more defensively orientated teams with offenses that can move the ball. It seems like Brady has always had good defenses to go along with him as well, so he hasn't done it alone. You can win the big one in the league without an elite QB, but you need a top tier front 7 (and defense), a QB that's above average, and lastly, Brady on an off-year. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Burgundy Yoda

[zCommander]

4 hours ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

Yeah, you do need a super duper QB to win a SB.

 

At least in the last 30 years or so....🤷‍♂️

 

Plenty of teams have won SB without a Super Duper QB.

 

You just need a mid to good and smart QB play and with our D, it it continues to play at high level, that is all you need. 

 

3 hours ago, Burgundy Yoda said:

Since the 2001 Superbowl, 6 of the last 21 Superbowls were won because of defense w/a mediocre or above average QB (Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Eli Manning x2, Joe Flacco, Wentz/Foles). 7 of those 21 winning teams were Brady-led. If you take the GOAT out of the equation, that leaves 8 teams that were lead by a true game-changing franchise QB/signal caller. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning x2, Ben Roethlisberger x2, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson. So it's 6 defense heavy to 8 franchise QB-led teams.

 

Brady is an enigma, he is the GOAT, but without him you'd see more defensively orientated teams with offenses that can move the ball. It seems like Brady has always had good defenses to go along with him as well, so he hasn't done it alone. You can win the big one in the league without an elite QB, but you need a top tier front 7 (and defense), a QB that's above average, and lastly, Brady on an off-year. 

 

i also replied but without reading your response first. A detailed response. Nicely done.

 

[Skinsinparadise]

It struck me I am posting about Fitz a bit on the QB thread but some of that belongs here

 

 

 

 

 

“We’re really excited about Ryan. That was a guy in free agency that we wanted to get and we were able to get him," Turner said in an upcoming Washington Football Talk Podcast episode. "You look at the last two years, he’s really played the best football of his career.”

 

Fitzpatrick has continued to play at a high level even as he entered the backend of his 30s. 2019 was his first season with the Dolphins, and he delivered 3,529 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 appearances and 13 starts.

 

 

Then in 2020 while slipping in and out of the starting role as Miami tried to figure out how to handle rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Fitzpatrick once again performed admirably despite never truly knowing when his name would be called. He compiled a 4-3 record in nine starts, threw for 2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games with the highest completion percentage of his career and kept the Dolphins in the playoff hunt.

In a full season of starts, Fitzpatrick would have been on pace to throw for around 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, especially when considering the regular season is now 17 games. The interceptions -- around 16-20 -- would be of concern, but that type of production is something that Washington hasn't seen at the position in years.

 

Fitzpatrick is somewhat of a hard quarterback to read, given that his seasons are filled with highs and lows and typically lacks a large sample size of consecutive starts. Still, given that Fitzpatrick has 16 years of experience under his belt, one can hypothesize what a team will get from him during the season. A gunslinger that will make all the necessary throws, push the ball down the field and give his team an opportunity to win more times than not.

Based on his track record and work as of late, Turner envisions a 2021 season in which Washington gets Fitzpatrick at his best.

“Obviously he’s 38 years old, couple months younger than me, but he is playing well, he’s playing at a high level and there’s no reason to believe that he’s not going to continue that," Turner said

Washington used the offseason to give Fitzpatrick a solid chance of playing at a high level by addressing the offensive line and receiving group in free agency and the draft. That support system will help the QB succeed, but Fitzpatrick could also be key in improving Washington's offense.

Even as Washington began to win games down the stretch in 2020, it was clear that the offense was not at its full potential. Games were won by the defense while the other side of the ball used short passes and the run game to do just enough to get points on the board. 

Turner has recognized that the next level is to push the ball downfield, something that has become a calling card for Fitzpatrick.

"We made an emphasis about, we gotta make plays down the field in this offense to really open up everything else,” Turner said.

“To try and take that next step we gotta get some plays down the field. And that’s been an emphasis," Turner said. "Fitzpatrick’s done it, obviously, his whole career.”

Edited May 5, 2021 by Skinsinparadise

[LD0506]

When was the last time Fitz had a D to back him up, playmakers and speed on O, AND a coaching staff (seemingly) committed to giving him a legit shot beyond just placeholder 'til the kid comes in?

 

It's May, I'm hopeful, this could actually work out for us.

[zCommander]

35 minutes ago, LD0506 said:

When was the last time Fitz had a D to back him up, playmakers and speed on O, AND a coaching staff (seemingly) committed to giving him a legit shot beyond just placeholder 'til the kid comes in?

 

It's May, I'm hopeful, this could actually work out for us.

 

The key is also that he will get to play all 17 games as a starter instead of trying to sub-in and out like he was in Miami. You can't build chemistry with your WRs that way or your offense for that matter. He was also probably looking over his shoulder for Tua as well. He has some really good weapons here in DC on both side of the lines. 

 

I really see us, barring any injury, going deep into the playoffs with Fitz. 

[CommanderInTheRye]

I’m just hoping he shows up to mini-camp next week in super swag mode...

 

 

 

 

[mistertim]

6 minutes ago, zskins said:

 

The key is also that he will get to play all 17 games as a starter instead of trying to sub-in and out like he was in Miami. You can't build chemistry with your WRs that way or your offense for that matter. He was also probably looking over his shoulder for Tua as well. He has some really good weapons here in DC on both side of the lines. 

 

I really see us, barring any injury, going deep into the playoffs with Fitz. 

 

The Heinicke Hive does not approve of this post.

[RWJ]

1 hour ago, Skinsinparadise said:

It struck me I am posting about Fitz a bit on the QB thread but some of that belongs here

 

 

 

 

 

“We’re really excited about Ryan. That was a guy in free agency that we wanted to get and we were able to get him," Turner said in an upcoming Washington Football Talk Podcast episode. "You look at the last two years, he’s really played the best football of his career.”

 

Fitzpatrick has continued to play at a high level even as he entered the backend of his 30s. 2019 was his first season with the Dolphins, and he delivered 3,529 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 appearances and 13 starts.

 

 

Then in 2020 while slipping in and out of the starting role as Miami tried to figure out how to handle rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Fitzpatrick once again performed admirably despite never truly knowing when his name would be called. He compiled a 4-3 record in nine starts, threw for 2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games with the highest completion percentage of his career and kept the Dolphins in the playoff hunt.

In a full season of starts, Fitzpatrick would have been on pace to throw for around 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, especially when considering the regular season is now 17 games. The interceptions -- around 16-20 -- would be of concern, but that type of production is something that Washington hasn't seen at the position in years.

 

Fitzpatrick is somewhat of a hard quarterback to read, given that his seasons are filled with highs and lows and typically lacks a large sample size of consecutive starts. Still, given that Fitzpatrick has 16 years of experience under his belt, one can hypothesize what a team will get from him during the season. A gunslinger that will make all the necessary throws, push the ball down the field and give his team an opportunity to win more times than not.

Based on his track record and work as of late, Turner envisions a 2021 season in which Washington gets Fitzpatrick at his best.

“Obviously he’s 38 years old, couple months younger than me, but he is playing well, he’s playing at a high level and there’s no reason to believe that he’s not going to continue that," Turner said

Washington used the offseason to give Fitzpatrick a solid chance of playing at a high level by addressing the offensive line and receiving group in free agency and the draft. That support system will help the QB succeed, but Fitzpatrick could also be key in improving Washington's offense.

Even as Washington began to win games down the stretch in 2020, it was clear that the offense was not at its full potential. Games were won by the defense while the other side of the ball used short passes and the run game to do just enough to get points on the board. 

Turner has recognized that the next level is to push the ball downfield, something that has become a calling card for Fitzpatrick.

"We made an emphasis about, we gotta make plays down the field in this offense to really open up everything else,” Turner said.

“To try and take that next step we gotta get some plays down the field. And that’s been an emphasis," Turner said. "Fitzpatrick’s done it, obviously, his whole career.”

Enough talk about Rodgers to the WFT.  We have FitzRodgers on our team.  Just kidding.   Seriously folks, we are good to go and with Allen rehabbing and coming back along with being blessed with TH we are good to go.  RR and Co. will address the QB when needed.  RR and Co. did an excellent job in the draft and Fitz has so many WR weapons in his arsenal now!! 

[ThomasRoane]

1 hour ago, LD0506 said:

When was the last time Fitz had a D to back him up, playmakers and speed on O, AND a coaching staff (seemingly) committed to giving him a legit shot beyond just placeholder 'til the kid comes in?

 

It's May, I'm hopeful, this could actually work out for us.

 

[justice98]

27 minutes ago, zskins said:

 

The key is also that he will get to play all 17 games as a starter instead of trying to sub-in and out like he was in Miami. You can't build chemistry with your WRs that way or your offense for that matter. He was also probably looking over his shoulder for Tua as well. He has some really good weapons here in DC on both side of the lines. 

 

I really see us, barring any injury, going deep into the playoffs with Fitz. 

 

Man, I do not understand this faith in Fitzpatrick.  I really don't. lol  It's pure blind faith, because there's no evidence whatsoever he can do what people are expecting him to do.  And this is a guy that's been in the league 100 years, so there's plenty of data. 

[CommDownMan]

24 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

Man, I do not understand this faith in Fitzpatrick.  I really don't. lol  It's pure blind faith, because there's no evidence whatsoever he can do what people are expecting him to do.  And this is a guy that's been in the league 100 years, so there's plenty of data. 

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/qb-index-ranking-the-59-starting-quarterbacks-of-the-2020-nfl-season

 

I expect him to do better than Smith/Allen/Haskins were between 2019 and 2020.  I think the evidence for that is there.  Yes it's a low bar, but what do you think people are expecting?

[mistertim]

31 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

Man, I do not understand this faith in Fitzpatrick.  I really don't. lol  It's pure blind faith, because there's no evidence whatsoever he can do what people are expecting him to do.  And this is a guy that's been in the league 100 years, so there's plenty of data. 

 

I think it's mostly the belief that he'll be much better than what we had...which is extremely likely to be true considering how bad Smith and Haskins were last season, that Allen is still rehabbing and Heinicke is an unknown commodity outside of 1 game.

 

At the very least we know he'll give our receivers chances to make plays and push the ball downfield. 

Edited May 5, 2021 by mistertim

[justice98]

6 minutes ago, jsharrin55 said:

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/qb-index-ranking-the-59-starting-quarterbacks-of-the-2020-nfl-season

 

I expect him to do better than Smith/Allen/Haskins were between 2019 and 2020.  I think the evidence for that is there.  Yes it's a low bar, but what do you think people are expecting?

 

He's absolutely better than those three.  I'm 100% in agreement on that.  That's not the argument though.  It's not what I think people are expecting, I just read on the last few pages people talking about big success and deep playoff runs because Fitzpatrick is here.  lol

[mistertim]

16 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

He's absolutely better than those three.  I'm 100% in agreement on that.  That's not the argument though.  It's not what I think people are expecting, I just read on the last few pages people talking about big success and deep playoff runs because Fitzpatrick is here.  lol

 

Eh I'm not really expecting that, personally. I'm expecting what Fitz has been in the past: a decent QB with a gunslinger mentality who puts up lots of throws for his receivers to make plays on but who, because of that, can be prone to interceptions as well. A guy who can be very streaky, but who has also been playing his best football the last couple of years.

 

At the very least we'll probably have an offense that will be fun to watch at times (even if the INTs make us groan). I can't remember the last time we had an offense that wasn't the equivalent of half a bottle of Nyquil. 

 

That being said, it's super rare for Fitz to be on a team with a relatively loaded roster (on paper, for now) along with an elite top 3 defense (on paper, for now). So I wouldn't completely rule him out for a potential playoff run.

 

That being said part 2, we also have a much more brutal schedule than last season, so I'm not expecting it.

[CommDownMan]

2 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

He's absolutely better than those three.  I'm 100% in agreement on that.  That's not the argument though.  It's not what I think people are expecting, I just read on the last few pages people talking about big success and deep playoff runs because Fitzpatrick is here.  lol

 

I think most have high expectations on the defense and just see Fitz level improvements making the O better than last year.  This team still is a D first team.

 

Big Ben (26 per) and Goff (23.25 per) were the 2 QBs around Fitz.  25 per with Fitz seems doable and that would be 64 points over last years scoring. 

 

Most games were close in playoffs.  Beef up the D, add a bit of scoring and expectations will go higher.  I think (think*) that most would agree that isn't all because of Fitz.

[skinny21]

5 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

He's absolutely better than those three.  I'm 100% in agreement on that.  That's not the argument though.  It's not what I think people are expecting, I just read on the last few pages people talking about big success and deep playoff runs because Fitzpatrick is here.  lol

On one hand, qb was our weakest link last year (the most important position no less), followed by receiver.  We should see a big step forward at those two spots, and we probably played the SB winning Bucs closer than anyone else, so I can see the optimism.  

We cycled through qbs, it was our first year with a new O (and O coordinator) and D, and have some youth that we should see some growth from (Young and Gibson especially).  We also addressed some of our weakest areas in a pretty big way - Jamin, Samuel, Brown, Flowers, Cosmi.

 

On the other hand, Heinicke played a very good game, so qb wasn’t the reason we lost.

 

Barring injury (and we do have good or promising depth in some areas), this is really close to being a complete team/roster - a solid qb, a good oline, ST, run game, good to very good pass catchers and a very good defense.  Personally, I’m not expecting anything (aside from being competitive), but I’d say we have a legit chance to advance in the playoffs.  Helps that the NFC looks pretty weak compared to the AFC.

 

[justice98]

1 hour ago, mistertim said:

 

Eh I'm not really expecting that, personally. I'm expecting what Fitz has been in the past: a decent QB with a gunslinger mentality who puts up lots of throws for his receivers to make plays on but who, because of that, can be prone to interceptions as well. A guy who can be very streaky, but who has also been playing his best football the last couple of years.

 

At the very least we'll probably have an offense that will be fun to watch at times (even if the INTs make us groan). I can't remember the last time we had an offense that wasn't the equivalent of half a bottle of Nyquil. 

 

That being said, it's super rare for Fitz to be on a team with a relatively loaded roster (on paper, for now) along with an elite top 3 defense (on paper, for now). So I wouldn't completely rule him out for a potential playoff run.

 

That being said part 2, we also have a much more brutal schedule than last season, so I'm not expecting it.

 

I don't think he just got dealt a bad hand every time or it was bad luck that he wound up on the teams he did.  No team that was serious would ever give him the keys. 

 

But our schedule actually isn't that tough, on paper.  I think we had a SOS for next year in the 20s or something like that.  Now, that could and probably will change once the actual games get played and somebody that was supposed to be tough isn't and vice versa.  But in a vacuum, it's no tougher than anybody else's.

[mistertim]

23 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

I don't think he just got dealt a bad hand every time or it was bad luck that he wound up on the teams he did.  No team that was serious would ever give him the keys. 

 

But our schedule actually isn't that tough, on paper.  I think we had a SOS for next year in the 20s or something like that.  Now, that could and probably will change once the actual games get played and somebody that was supposed to be tough isn't and vice versa.  But in a vacuum, it's no tougher than anybody else's.

 

Regarding the schedule I just meant it was harder than last years (on paper at least, as you noted).

 

As far as Fitz...yeah but at the same time he's pretty much always been a stopgap or backup wherever he went. Though when he has had talent around him he's been pretty decent (had a good cast in TB and a pretty good one in MIA).

 

I'm certainly not saying nothing is his fault. The dude is super hot and cold and is prone to boneheaded plays as well as highlight reel ones. Just that I'm curious to see how he will look with the roster we've built, especially with a great supporting defense.

[goskins10]

57 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

I don't think he just got dealt a bad hand every time or it was bad luck that he wound up on the teams he did.  No team that was serious would ever give him the keys. 

 

But our schedule actually isn't that tough, on paper.  I think we had a SOS for next year in the 20s or something like that.  Now, that could and probably will change once the actual games get played and somebody that was supposed to be tough isn't and vice versa.  But in a vacuum, it's no tougher than anybody else's.

 

A couple of things here - first the SoS is incorrect and it's missing context. The SoS when adding the 17th gm - Buffalo - is 15th (136-134-2), not in the 20s. However, the bigger problem is it's missing context, and that is the NFC east records count twice in the calculation. When you back out the NFC East - the SoS is over 59% (104-72) which is higher than Pitts which shows as the highest SoS at 57%. So yea, I get we can play 6 gms against teams with ****ty records, but they are division games which records many times do not count. The 11 games outside the division the record is 32 gms over .500. That makes this a very tough schedule on paper. May not end up that way as teams may slide, but right now it's a tough schedule.  

 

As for Fitz, he has absolutely caused some of his own problems. But the point being made by some that has some merit is he has been much better the last 3 seasons of play. You said somewhere that 2015 was his best season. I would argue it was 2019 - You can look at his stats for the last 3 yrs and compare them to his career averages and see he is noticeably better. I do agree it's hard to find any meaningful games he even played in, much less played well in. However, you can look at his 4Q comebacks - he has 13 (ranked tied for 86th) which is just 4 behind Aaron Rogers and 2 ahead of Kirk Cousins. The first thing people say is well he was on bad times so he had a lot of opportunity - The 1st 4 names on that list? Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and then Ben R. 

 

Back to Fitz, 5 of those comebacks are from the last 2 seasons. Does any of this make him a sudden pro-bowl QB? No. But it will be nice to see how he plays with a good team in front of him. He has rarely had a good team around him. This D can overcome some TOs, unlike many if any of his previous teams. And we now have weapons for him, easily the best receiving corp he has ever had. The Oline is Ok, not great and the run gm will depend on the oline coming to together and the RBs health. But they have a chance to be pretty decent. 

 

Not trying to make a case that Fitz is the answer to our QB issues. But I do believe we are in better shape than many are making it appear. We could not only make the POs but make some noise. Win it all? Highly doubtful but you never know. But he is a good bridge QB to the real long term answer. And I am glad they are being patient in looking for the right guy for this system, not just getting a QB to get a QB. 

 

 

[HigSkin]

One scouts report from 2018 which contains a lot of what we already know about him.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-spt-bears-scouting-report-buccaneers-ryan-fitzpatrick-20180928-story.html

 

“He’s one of the most hot-and-cold quarterbacks I have watched because when he’s on, he’s ultra-aggressive and he plays with no fear and he will attack the secondary with second- and third-level throws,” a scout said. “He doesn’t win with intermediate throws. He wins going downfield.

 

“He’s extremely tough and he’s got better mobility than people would think, and he’s not afraid to pull the ball down and run for the sticks. But when he’s at his best, he’s throwing from the pocket. His arm strength is average. He doesn’t have a rocket for an arm, but he’s really good with timing and when he sees a window open, he doesn’t hesitate and he lets the ball go. He puts the ball in position where the wide receivers can run under it. He throws with nice touch.

[wit33]

19 minutes ago, goskins10 said:

 

A couple of things here - first the SoS is incorrect and it's missing context. The SoS when adding the 17th gm - Buffalo - is 15th (136-134-2), not in the 20s. However, the bigger problem is it's missing context, and that is the NFC east records count twice in the calculation. When you back out the NFC East - the SoS is over 59% (104-72) which is higher than Pitts which shows as the highest SoS at 57%. So yea, I get we can play 6 gms against teams with ****ty records, but they are division games which records many times do not count. The 11 games outside the division the record is 32 gms over .500. That makes this a very tough schedule on paper. May not end up that way as teams may slide, but right now it's a tough schedule.  

 

As for Fitz, he has absolutely caused some of his own problems. But the point being made by some that has some merit is he has been much better the last 3 seasons of play. You said somewhere that 2015 was his best season. I would argue it was 2019 - You can look at his stats for the last 3 yrs and compare them to his career averages and see he is noticeably better. I do agree it's hard to find any meaningful games he even played in, much less played well in. However, you can look at his 4Q comebacks - he has 13 (ranked tied for 86th) which is just 4 behind Aaron Rogers and 2 ahead of Kirk Cousins. The first thing people say is well he was on bad times so he had a lot of opportunity - The 1st 4 names on that list? Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and then Ben R. 

 

Back to Fitz, 5 of those comebacks are from the last 2 seasons. Does any of this make him a sudden pro-bowl QB? No. But it will be nice to see how he plays with a good team in front of him. He has rarely had a good team around him. This D can overcome some TOs, unlike many if any of his previous teams. And we now have weapons for him, easily the best receiving corp he has ever had. The Oline is Ok, not great and the run gm will depend on the oline coming to together and the RBs health. But they have a chance to be pretty decent. 

 

Not trying to make a case that Fitz is the answer to our QB issues. But I do believe we are in better shape than many are making it appear. We could not only make the POs but make some noise. Win it all? Highly doubtful but you never know. But he is a good bridge QB to the real long term answer. And I am glad they are being patient in looking for the right guy for this system, not just getting a QB to get a QB. 

 

 

I also speculate the Turner scheme is going to do a great job of helping Fitz manage games with consistent designed short game throws. It could turn into a great marriage, the value Turner has for the short game and the value/willingness Fitz has with attacking down-the-field. 

[mistertim]

13 minutes ago, wit33 said:

I also speculate the Turner scheme is going to do a great job of helping Fitz manage games with consistent designed short game throws. It could turn into a great marriage, the value Turner has for the short game and the value/willingness Fitz has with attacking down-the-field. 

 

If Fitz will actually take the short throws when they're there. He's got a bit of the Sex Cannon in him.

 

[Stadium-Armory]

I love the QB situation in the sense that nobody is making a ton of money so there won't be financial pressure to start one QB over another. Yes, Fitzpatrick is the more accomplished player but if Heineke wins the job, there won't be a salary consideration hanging over the coaching staff's head. The best player will start.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Stadium-Armory

[mistertim]

10 minutes ago, Stadium-Armory said:

I love the QB situation in the sense that nobody is making a ton of money so there won't be financial pressure to start one QB over another. Yes, Fitzpatrick is the more accomplished player but if Heineke wins the job, there won't be a salary consideration hanging over the coaching staff's head. The best player will start.

 

I think it's safe to say that the job is Fitz's to lose. They didn't bring him in to be a backup. Yeah RR said there will be a competition, but I'm guessing it would take Fitz looking pretty bad and Heinicke looking really good for TH to get the nod over him.

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, goskins10 said:

 

 

As for Fitz, he has absolutely caused some of his own problems. But the point being made by some that has some merit is he has been much better the last 3 seasons of play. You said somewhere that 2015 was his best season. I would argue it was 2019 - You can look at his stats for the last 3 yrs and compare them to his career averages and see he is noticeably better. I do agree it's hard to find any meaningful games he even played in, much less played well in. However, you can look at his 4Q comebacks - he has 13 (ranked tied for 86th) which is just 4 behind Aaron Rogers and 2 ahead of Kirk Cousins. The first thing people say is well he was on bad times so he had a lot of opportunity - The 1st 4 names on that list? Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and then Ben R. 

 

Back to Fitz, 5 of those comebacks are from the last 2 seasons. Does any of this make him a sudden pro-bowl QB? No. But it will be nice to see how he plays with a good team in front of him. He has rarely had a good team around him. This D can overcome some TOs, unlike many if any of his previous teams. And we now have weapons for him, easily the best receiving corp he has ever had. The Oline is Ok, not great and the run gm will depend on the oline coming to together and the RBs health. But they have a chance to be pretty decent. 

 

 

 

Agree. 

 

Played well in his later games both in 2019 and 2020, in 2019 he went 4-1 in his last 5 games.  Played his best game when everything was on the line for Miami last season. Sadly he got COVID-19 and missed that last game.  they missed out on the playoffs at 10-6.  Just like ironically the Jets years ago missed out on the playoffs at 10-6.

 

He did this playing with a bad offense.  He had PFF's worst ranked O line in 2019 and 28th ranked O line in 2020.  The Miami playmakers are "meh".  Among the QB starters around the league last year there were very few that had less time to throw than Fitz.  He made the most out of a bad situation. 

 

Ranked 5th in QBR in his last season

Ranked 7th in QBR in his last 2 seasons combined

Was one of the best QBs in the league throwing deep

Was one of the better QBs in the league statistically speaking in close games

Was close to the league lead in comebacks in 2019

Set a career high in comebacks and TD winning drives in 2019.

 

Fitz isn't the be all and end all.  But its no coincidence IMO that PFF is sold he's a major upgrade and we have a chance with him.  Fitz himself sells hard he's a different QB later in his career.  Being from South Florida, I know some Miami Dolphins reporters feel the same.  I got a lot of Miami Dolphin fans who are friends and family including my parents who are big Fitz fans.  He's borderline a cult hero down here.  The Dolphin fans I know aren't feeling "meh" good riddance -- where Fitz is just a guy.

 

Is Fitz a top 10 QB?  I don't think so.  But is he in the conversation from 13-16?  IMO yes.  Omar Kelly who covers the Dolphins and is cynical as heck talks Fitz up as a top 15 QB.  to some that may sound crazy but if you watched most of his Miami games that takeaway isn't crazy at all. 

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Skinsinparadise