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Ryan Fitzpatrick News & Rumors

Bills' Nix assured Fitzpatrick he will start at QB
May 16
NFL.com
 
"When the Buffalo Bills signed Vince Young, it was easy to dream up scenarios where Ryan Fitzpatrick's grasp on the starting quarterback role might be in danger. Bills general manager Buddy Nix made it clear to Fitzpatrick his role was safe from the start. "Buddy Nix has been a guy that has been very fair to all his player, he's been a guy who's been trying to create a competitive atmosphere," Fitzpatrick told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday. "Buddy caught me in the hallway one day and said, 'We're looking to create some competition for the number two spot at quarterback, we are bringing in Vince Young. We made him an offer. We'll see if he comes. But just to let you know, obviously, you"
Fitz won't blame injury for poor play
March 6
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"You can question Ryan Fitzpatrick's arm strength, or his accuracy, or whether he's worth $10 million a year. But one thing you can't question about the Bills' quarterback is his courage. In an interview with NBC last Friday, David Nelson confirmed lingering suspicions that Fitz had suffered cracked ribs in the Washington game when he was hit by linebacker London Fletcher. Sources say he had four cracked ribs and an injured sternum. Fitzpatrick wasn't pleased to hear the news had come out. When I reached him by phone at his home in Arizona on the morning of the Super Bowl, Fitz was reluctant to elaborate on the matter. He didn't deny it, but he seemed annoyed to be put on the spot more"
Fitz pleased to have Stevie back
March 6
Buffalo News
 
"It took less than 30 minutes after Stevie Johnson signed his new contract for Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to express himself. Fitzpatrick sent Johnson a photo of the just-completed haircut Fitz's wife, Liza, had given him. Carved into the back of Fitzpatrick's scalp were the words, "HE'S BACK," and Fitzpatrick was sporting a modified mohawk cut down the middle of his head. "I think I'm going to wear it proudly today, because I'm on Cloud 9 right now, excited about Stevie being back," Fitzpatrick told reporters about an hour later via teleconference from his home in Arizona. "It's probably not the look that I will go into the season with or the look that you will see me with"
Bills hire a quarterback mechanic in Lee
February 9
Buffalo News
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick will soon enroll in Bills Quarterbacking 101, a class to be taught by David Lee, the team's new quarterbacks coach. Lee's message to Fitzpatrick is that he's here to help him develop as a passer and fine-tune his mechanics. "I think the critical thing is that he needs to be receptive and understand I do want to help in these areas of fundamentals," Lee said. " 'When I'm setting my feet, can David Lee improve me and get me better when those things are happening?' And if he has an attitude of 'yes' then I think we can make some strides." Fitzpatrick should benefit from Lee's presence. Lee has been coaching on the college or NFL levels -- primarily as either a quarterbacks"
Fitz won't blame injury for poor play
February 7
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"You can question Ryan Fitzpatrick's arm strength, or his accuracy, or whether he's worth $10 million a year. But one thing you can't question about the Bills' quarterback is his courage. In an interview with NBC last Friday, David Nelson confirmed lingering suspicions that Fitz had suffered cracked ribs in the Washington game when he was hit by linebacker London Fletcher. Sources say he had four cracked ribs and an injured sternum. Fitzpatrick wasn't pleased to hear the news had come out. When I reached him by phone at his home in Arizona on the morning of the Super Bowl, Fitz was reluctant to elaborate on the matter. He didn't deny it, but he seemed annoyed to be put on the spot more"
Nelson: Fitz played with cracked ribs
February 5
Buffalo News
 
"David Nelson provided a reason as to why Ryan Fitzpatrick's play was so woefully inconsistent in the second half of the season. During an interview Friday with NBC Sports, the Buffalo Bills' receiver confirmed long-rumored suspicions that Fitzpatrick suffered cracked ribs in the Washington Redskins game in Toronto, an injury caused by a hit by former Bills linebacker London Fletcher. "A lot of people don't know, but Fitz, during the Washington game, actually cracked a couple of ribs," Nelson said. "So after that he was playing hurt." Fitzpatrick didn't miss a game after the injury -- he started all 16 games for the first time in his career -- but in the days following the Washington game,"
Fitz suggests Bills weren't ready for success
January 26
Buffalo News
 
"In an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday, Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suggested that the team faltered because it couldn't handle the success of a 5-2 start. "I guess we weren't ready for it yet," Fitzpatrick said. "We weren't ready to be able to accept the fact that we were playing well and playing as the team that was on the top (of the AFC East).""
Fitz campaigns for Johnson to return
January 3
Buffalo News
 
"Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made an impassioned plea Monday to have receiver Stevie Johnson back next season. Coach Chan Gailey also said he wants Johnson back — but he was far less definitive on the matter. "If you look at what Steve has done with the two 1,000-yard seasons in a row, it's really the first two years Steve has played," Fitzpatrick said. "I feel like a lot of what I've done and a lot of the success I've had since I've been here has been because of him. And the success that he's had, a lot of it's been because of me. We have that relationship. "I don't know what's going to happen and obviously I'm not a decision maker. I'm not going to be involved in that"
Quarterback magic has a way of wearing off
December 24
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"Tim Tebow is coming to town. He'll be making his reads and checking them twice, on those rare occasions when he doesn't lock onto a receiver or take off running. Tebow is, of course, the biggest sports story in the nation, the greatest thing to hit the NFL since the forward pass -- an invention our God-fearing hero has set back decades. Most Bills fans won't be able to witness today's Bills-Broncos clash because of the NFL's silly, antiquated blackout rule. Evidently, a lot of fans decided there were better ways to spend Christmas Eve day than watching two quarterbacks fire passes behind receivers. I thought people might show up just to see if Tebow had a halo instead of a helmet. Oh, I'm"
Fitzpatrick playing like overpaid backup, not franchise QB
December 19
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"Chan Gailey was resolute, as he has been in recent weeks. Asked if he had lost any confidence in Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Bills' coach didn't hesitate. "Zero," Gailey said after the Bills lost at home to Miami, 30-23. "I've lost zero confidence." That puts him in a distinct minority. Actually, zero might be the number of people who haven't lost confidence in Fitz. A coach will swear allegiance to his quarterback until he has no choice. Until then, Gailey stands by his guy, despite mounting evidence to the contrary."
Simply put, Fitzpatrick is Bills' QB
December 13
Buffalo News
 
"Bills coach Chan Gailey extended an emphatic vote of confidence for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on Monday, despite the team's and quarterback's corresponding tailspins. "None. Zero. I have no questions about him," Gailey said when asked whether he had concerns about Fitzpatrick as the franchise's long-term quarterback. "We've all seen him do it. We know he can do it. I think as soon as we continue to work on getting everybody on the same page, I think Fitz'll be fine." Fitzpatrick and his receivers weren't just on different pages Sunday, they were in different books. The quarterback completed just 38.2 percent of his throws (a career low in a game he's started), connecting on just"
Fitzpatrick's recent play not paying off
November 25
Buffalo News
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick admits that, yes, there are times when he has tried to do too much. There are times he has thought too much, perhaps fretted too often, times he has forced passes into double and triple coverage because, after all, don't the Buffalo Bills have to lean on someone in times of crisis? Who better than the guy making an average of over $9 million a year, the man whose performance is almost always Topic A? Fitzpatrick also knows what most fans would like to do with him. Scoring is down, he has lost the strike zone at times and his quarterback rating the last three games is an average of 48.1 when the Bills are 5-5 and fighting to keep their fading playoff hopes in their sights."
Ryan Fitzpatrick's quick trigger will challenge Dolphins secondary
November 19
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Tom Brady has the titles. Aaron Rodgers has the hot offense. Drew Brees has the gaudy numbers. But Ryan Fitzpatrick can make the argument he's the NFL's smartest quarterback. And the degree he received from Harvard doesn't even begin to explain how cerebral a passer Buffalo has behind center. For most of 2011 Fitzpatrick has engineered one of the NFL's most efficient offenses, and he's done it with a team filled with castoffs and overachievers like himself. "This guy gets the ball out his hand," Dolphins linebacker Kevin Burnett said, referring to Fitzpatrick's quick trigger. "He just got paid $68 million or something like that." Burnett's referring to the six-year, $59 million contract,"
Fitz faces his first true test as the face of the franchise
November 13
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"The Bills are 5-3 at the halfway point, tied for first place in the AFC East with the Pats and Jets. They're in the thick of the playoff chase, with their destiny in their own hands. So how come it feels as if the whole thing is about to come tumbling down? The first half of the year was one of the most consistently entertaining in years. But it's been like watching your child ride a bicycle for the first time. You run alongside, proud and apprehensive, wondering how long it'll be before they lose their balance and fall off. Maybe it's the injuries. If you had told me in August that Kyle Williams would have to shut it down at the halfway point, and that Shawne Merriman would be done even"
Jets defense gets physical, shuts down Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bills
November 7
New York Daily News
 
"LaDainian Tomlinson's pregame message wasn't only for the Jets offense. "I feel like in the AFC East we're the only ones who still play physical football," he said. "Obviously, you've got New England that spreads you out and Buffalo does the same thing. We're still that ground and pound old school mentality and that was my message. Guys, let's play physical today. Let's hit 'em in the mouth every play. If we do that, if we play our style of football, we're going to win the game." They did that and they won Sunday's showdown against the Bills rather convincingly. While the Jets' offense controlled the clock, if not the scoreboard, for the majority of the game, the defense took it to a Bills"
Fitzpatrick, Sanchez will have to make snap decisions
November 6
Buffalo News
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick today will try to get the Buffalo Bills over what has been a giant roadblock for the franchise -- the New York Jets' defense. Mark Sanchez will try to enhance his credentials as a clutch performer in big games for the Jets. The one who succeeds can lay claim to being the second-best quarterback in the AFC East. More important, the winner will give his team a big boost in the playoff race. A sellout crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium will be fired up for one of Buffalo's biggest midseason games of the past decade. The Bills (5-2) can take a two-game lead over the Jets (4-3) in the division and keep their edge on the New England Patriots (5-2), whom they already have defeated."
Fitzpatrick rests up for Sunday
November 4
Buffalo News
 
"Bills coach Chan Gailey said Ryan Fitzpatrick has been limited the last two days of practice with a chest bruise but it's not significant enough to keep the quarterback from playing Sunday against the New York Jets. Gailey said he made a mistake by listing Fitzpatrick as a full participant for Wednesday's practice because he didn't take all the reps. "[The chest bruise] is something that I'm working through but I'll be fine," Fitzpatrick said. Linebacker Chris Kelsay (calf) was the only name added to the injury report and was limited in practice on Thursday. "That calf of his is tweaking on him a little bit so we're just being conservative with him," Gailey said. Guard Andy Levitre"
Bills sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to extension
October 29
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"The debate about whether Ryan Fitzpatrick is truly Buffalo's long-term answer at quarterback may continue to rage, but the Bills' front office made it perfectly clear Friday afternoon where it stands on the issue. General manager Buddy Nix announced that the team has signed Fitzpatrick to a contract extension, and though Nix did not discuss the terms, NFL sources have pegged the deal at six years for $59 million, with $24 million guaranteed. "I'm excited about Ryan and getting this done," Nix said. "He'll be our quarterback for a long time and it makes everything easier for us. It's easier to put good players around him if you've got that position, and we do." Fitzpatrick, who was not"
Bills, Fitzpatrick reach deal on extension
October 28
Buffalo News
 
"For the first time in a dozen years, the Buffalo Bills have locked up a quarterback to a contract extension. The Bills and Ryan Fitzpatrick reached agreement on a new deal today, a source close to the talks told The News. The move gives the Bills security at a position in which they have had very little the past decade. The last Bills starting QB to get an extension was Doug Flutie, who got an extra two years added onto his contract in 1999. The deal is for six years and a total of $59 million, with $24 million guaranteed, according to ESPN."
Childhood rivals John Beck, Ryan Fitzpatrick reunite Sunday
October 27
Washington Post
 
"When John Beck leads the Washington Redskins against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto on Sunday, it won't mark the first occasion, or sport, in which he has against Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Growing up about half an hour from Phoenix, Beck and Fitzpatrick have known each other since they were roughly 7 and 8 years old. "I think it started off with swimming to be honest," Fitzpatrick said Wednesday in a conference call with Redskins beat writers. "He's a year older than I am. … We grew up playing sports against each other and even at one point kind of training with the same guy back in high school.""
Fitz and Bills near extension
October 21
Buffalo News
 
"It appears the Buffalo Bills are close to striking a deal to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick as the franchise's starting quarterback beyond this season. According to an NFL.com report, the sides are moving toward agreement on a multiyear deal that will pay Fitzpatrick about $10 million per season. According to the report, the two sides have been talking in earnest since the Sept. 25 win over New England and had hoped to reach a deal this week, but with the Bills on a bye, the players out of town and their facility seemingly closed for the weekend, it appears the earliest it would be announced would be Monday."
Giants' defensive line stands tall against Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
October 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Last week in practice, the Giants' defensive line spent time batting down balls at the line of scrimmage — and a key component to the game plan for today's victory against the Buffalo Bills came into focus. With all but one of the starting linemen standing 6-4 or taller — Osi Umenyiora is the runt of the pack at 6-3 — defensive coordinator Perry Fewell knew his players had a clear height advantage over Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is listed (perhaps generously) at 6-2."
Fitz-Gailey combo is well seasoned
September 29
Buffalo News
 
"The marriage of the football minds of Chan Gailey and Ryan Fitzpatrick is producing epic quarterback play for the Buffalo Bills. Fitzpatrick now has played 16 games, the equivalent of a full season, under Gailey. The results: Fitzpatrick has passed for 3,841 yards, with 32 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. Only two Bills quarterbacks ever have produced more yards in a season, and only Jim Kelly has produced more touchdowns in one season. "That's impressive," said Bills receiver David Nelson. "We're trying to do what they did in the '90s, and to have production like one of the best of all time and the best in this franchise is definitely a good starting point.""
New deals for Fitzpatrick, Johnson won't come cheap
September 25
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills will have to pay out roughly $18 million a year if they want to re-sign both Stevie Johnson and Ryan Fitzpatrick. It sounds like a lot of money. But in the NFL world, where teams are living off the golden goose of television revenue, it's not crazy money. In fact, many teams are committing that much money -- and more -- to the receiver and quarterback positions. Here's how the pay rankings look and how the parameters might shake out as the Bills work on deals for their passing combination."
Bills' Harvard guy making name known
September 22
Boston Herald
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick mainly is known as the Harvard guy who aced the Wonderlic test before the 2005 NFL draft. Aside from that, he's just like the rest of the Buffalo Bills roster — obscure. But he's at the controls of a 2-0 team, just like Tom Brady, and Fitzpatrick sees a big opportunity to further the Bills' rise to NFL relevance when they face the Patriots on Sunday. "We're a team full of guys looking to make a name for themselves, looking to make a name for our team," Fitzpatrick said yesterday during a conference call. "Although most of us are unheralded, and nobody really knows us, we think we're pretty good, and we think we've got a lot of talent on the roster."
Gailey-Fitz chemistry makes offense a gas
September 12
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"Chan Gailey didn't hide it this time. A year ago, he wouldn't admit how much he burned to come here and beat Todd Haley, who had fired him as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator 13 days before the 2009 season. But after his Bills humiliated the Chiefs, 41-7, in an astonishing opener at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Gailey finally let his guard down. "It feels good," Gailey said. "You're lying if you say it doesn't. It does. It feels good.""
Fitzpatrick reprises his beard-man role
September 8
Buffalo News
 
"Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick says his beard is here to stay. Fitzpatrick took on a Grizzly Adams look by growing his beard for most of last season. It was shaggy. Some would say mangy. He did not shave it off until the season ended. He said he expects to let it grow all this season, too. "It's on; it's going," he said. "Anybody who wants to join me can join me." What does his wife think of it? "She was happy I cut it two weeks ago or whenever it was. But she's along for the ride," he said."
Fitzpatrick is the first Bill in
July 27
Buffalo News
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick drove up and down Abbott Road in recent days, just waiting for the word. NFL players weren't allowed into team facilities until 10 a.m. Tuesday, and Fitzpatrick was the first one through the door at One Bills Drive. "I've been antsy to get in here," he said. "My wife was asking me why I was leaving so early. I've been dying to get in here." Fitzpatrick has a good reason to be excited about getting back to work. He enters this season as the man at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills -- a role he's never played at the start of his six previous NFL seasons. "This is my show from the very beginning," he said. "I'm always excited going into a season, but it's a whole different"
Ryan Fitzpatrick is first Buffalo Bill to report to team facility
July 26
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, to the surprise of no one, was the first player to walk through the Buffalo Bills' training facility today. Players were not allowed to return to their respective team facilities until 10 a.m., and Fitzpatrick was out in the parking lot, waiting for the doors to open. "I kept driving by the stadium (in the last few days, knowing a CBA settlement was imminent)," Fitzpatrick said. "I've been antsy to get in here." Fitzpatrick said he has been thinking, "I've got to be there, I'm dying to get in the building, so I'm happy to be here." After meeting with the assembled media, Fitzpatrick headed off to say hello to coach Chan Gailey, pick up his playbook, and start"
Jim Kelly: Bills wise to pass on QB in draft, stick with Fitzpatrick
June 28
USA Today
 
"Hall-of-Fame QB Jim Kelly likes the Bills' new look -- he wore one of the redesigned jerseys the team unveiled Friday night -- but he prefers their old quarterback. Kelly told NFL Network on Monday that Buffalo did the right thing by bypassing a quarterback with the third overall pick in April's draft -- they took Alabama DL Marcell Dareus -- and making veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick the unquestioned starter. "If you look at Fitzpatrick's stats over the course of the last part of the year, he's right up there at the top with the other guys. I've been watching him throw for the last, probably, month, and he's done such a great job of communicating and how he's running this offseason program with"
Bills' faith in Fitz stabilizes QB outlook
January 10
Buffalo News
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick came to the rescue for the Buffalo Bills in 2010. That may sound odd, considering the Bills hardly could be considered "saved" during their 4-12 season. Yet in the 13 games the sixth-year quarterback played, he brought the Bills' pass offense to respectability. The Bills' final offensive numbers are ugly. Buffalo finished 25th in yards, 24th in passing yards and 28th in points. If you only count Fitzpatrick's 13 games, the Bills were 19th in yards, 17th in passing yards and 19th in points. Great? Hardly. But better. Now consider the negative effect the Buffalo defense had on the offense. The Bills' last-ranked run defense couldn't get off the field. So the Buffalo offense"
Gailey bullish on Fitzpatrick for 2011
January 4
Buffalo News
 
"Here's a stock report from the news conference held by Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey on Monday: Buy on Ryan Fitzpatrick and a "multiple-front" defense. Sell on Aaron Maybin and Donte Whitner. Gailey gave first-blush, season-ending impressions on his 4-12 football team, and his comments were candid by NFL standards and a heck of a lot more straightforward than anything his predecessor, Dick Jauron, ever said under similar circumstances. Gailey gave about as strong an endorsement as one could expect on Fitzpatrick, who threw 23 touchdown passes in 13 games. How committed is the coach to Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback in 2011? "Very committed," Gailey said. "He's done a lot of good"
Brian Brohm may get the call against Jets
January 1
Buffalo News
 
"The chances increased Friday that Brian Brohm will see some action at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's season finale at the New York Jets. Brohm took the snaps as the starter for a third straight practice day, while Ryan Fitzpatrick watched from the sidelines nursing a sore knee. However, Fitzpatrick still was holding out hope that he will be able to play. Fitzpatrick said he will test his knee in warm-ups before the game. If he feels good, Fitzpatrick said he will play. "We're going to list him as questionable," Gailey said. "If he can get ready, then we'll have him out there." Brohm, a former second-round draft choice, is in his third NFL season, his second with the Bills."
Bills' Fitzpatrick again pockets a crushing win over Dolphins
December 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has probably scored better than 92 on many exams during his life, earning a diploma from Harvard. However, his grabbing that sort of passer rating in games the Dolphins absolutely had to have is also becoming a habit. On Sunday, Fitzpatrick was efficient and smart as he hurt the Dolphins defense in key moments, completing 16 of 26 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, along with scrambling for 19 yards on three carries. That produced a passer rating of 98.7 as Buffalo eliminated the 7-7 Dolphins from the playoff picture. Of course, the Dolphins have seen this before, as Fitzpatrick went up against a 5-5 Dolphins team last season and helped destroy"
Fitz's beard soon to be scratched
December 16
Buffalo News
 
"The days are numbered for the shaggy beard of Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills' quarterback, who has been growing his beard all season, said he will shave it off after the season-finale against the New York Jets on Jan. 2. "Yes, definitely," Fitzpatrick said when asked if he would shed his growth. Fitzpatrick's beard is very full around the mouth and chin and splotchy on the sides. Bills cornerback Drayton Florence has been calling him "the Amish Rifle." Fitzpatrick was asked Wednesday if he has been invited to take part in any Civil War reenactment festivities. (He hasn't.) "I think there are probably plenty of people who want me to trim it or cut it up, especially of the female variety,""
Dolphins' Henne, Bills' Fitzpatrick highlight different schools of thought
December 16
Miami Herald
 
"Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick slipped in the NFL's side door as a seventh-round pick out of Harvard, a school better known for producing presidents, Supreme Court chief justices, attorneys general and corporate lawyers than quarterbacks. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne got the front-door handshake as a second-round pick out of Michigan, a football factory and elite school long ago nicknamed ``The Harvard of the West.'' Right now, the Dolphins would be happy if Henne were playing more like the Fitzpatrick of the South. Which numbers do you want? Fitzpatrick has the better touchdown-to-interception ratio (21-11 to 13-15), third-down passer rating (99.0 to 87.1), fourth-quarter passer rating"
Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick shrugs off wet conditions, steadily leads Bills offense
December 13
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Asked to manage a game Sunday, Bills quarterback and Harvard product Ryan Fitzpatrick excelled. He made enough plays with his brain, arm and legs to engineer a 13-6 victory over the Browns at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Fitzpatrick completed 14 of 23 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, and he ranked second on the Bills with 49 yards rushing on four carries. It added up to one more victory against the Browns than superstars Tom Brady of the Patriots and Drew Brees of the Saints delivered this season. Fitzpatrick's passer rating of 93.0 almost doubled that of the Browns' Jake Delhomme, who was 12-of-20 for 86 yards and one interception en route to a 49.2. Both quarterbacks dealt with mist and"
Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Steelers CB Bryant McFadden
November 28
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Steelers' defense has a way of putting a quick stop to quarterbacks who are on a roll. They didn't do it to Drew Brees and Tom Brady, but each of those Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks was coming off a loss when they played the Steelers. But that wasn't the case with Vince Young or Josh Freeman or Jason Campbell. Each of those quarterbacks faced the Steelers riding some kind of hot streak, and each of those quarterbacks left feeling confused, battered and beaten. None of them finished the game. All were yanked because of poor performance. Young, Freeman and Campbell combined to complete just 34 of 60 passes for 320 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions against the Steelers. They"
Will Fitz's feel-good story take a turn for worse?
November 28
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"Here's an interesting fact: Seven of the Bills' first eight opponents this season are currently atop their divisions or tied for the lead. Their first-half schedule was pretty difficult. They didn't play a bunch of chumps on the journey to 0-8. So it was a welcome change of pace to play the Lions and Bengals, a couple of the NFL's bottom-feeders, in the last two weeks. On successive Sundays, the Bills took on an historically bad road team and bunch of shameless quitters and came out of it with their first two wins of the year. Now it's time for the varsity competition to resume. The Steelers are in town today, accompanied by thousands of their faithful, black-and-yellow clad fans. There"
Buffalo Bills likely to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick as starting quarterback in 2011, coach says
November 25
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson said a few weeks ago that his team's No. 1 priority in the offseason will be to find its quarterback of the future, preferably in the draft. Coach Chan Gailey said Wednesday that the quarterback of the future may already be on the team in the form of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Gailey was asked whether there was a chance Fitzpatrick would not be the starter next year, assuming the Bills do indeed heed the owners' wishes and draft a quarterback near the top of the first round where they likely will be picking. "Today, there's no way I can envision that," Gailey said matter-of-factly. "To be honest with you, that would be kind of dumb not to think that the way the guy"
Fitzpatrick's play turning heads at One Bills Drive
November 25
Buffalo News
 columnist Jerry Sullivan
"Under normal circumstances, in another NFL town, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 18 touchdown passes. He's on pace to reach 30, which has been done just once in team history (Jim Kelly had 33 in 1991). In Fitzpatrick's eight starts, the Bills are averaging 24.5 points a game. He has helped turn Stevie Johnson into a star and potential Pro Bowler. Fitz is the second-rated passer on third down in the AFC. He and Chan Gailey have a rare chemistry between QB and head coach. Still, it was big news when Gailey gave Fitzpatrick a vote of confidence Wednesday. Considering how far Fitz has come and how well he has executed your offense, I asked Gailey, is there"
Ryan Fitzpatrick gets a thumbs up from Chad Gailey as Buffalo Bills future QB
November 24
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson said a few weeks ago that his team's No. 1 priority this offseason will be to find its quarterback of the future. Coach Chan Gailey said today that the quarterback of the future may already be on the team in the form of Ryan Fitzpatrick. "To be honest with you, that would be kind of dumb not to think that the way the guy has played," Gailey said when asked if he envisioned Fitzpatrick getting the chance to be the long-term starter in Buffalo. "He's played extremely well; how would you not think that? I don't give anything away, guys earn it, and he's earned it." Gailey was reminded of Wilson's comment, and he said, "Don't read anything into it. The guy is"
Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gets 'sweet' revenge
November 22
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"Ryan Fitzpatrick's return to Cincinnati didn't start the way he wanted it to but it couldn't have ended any better. Fitzpatrick, a former backup to Carson Palmer who replaced an injured Palmer for 12 games in 2008, threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns against his former team to rally the Buffalo Bills from a 21-point deficit to a 49-31 win against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Two Fitzpatrick interceptions, both by cornerback Johnathan Joseph, helped the Bengals build a 28-7 lead in the second quarter but Fitzpatrick engineered the largest comeback by Buffalo in 13 years by leading the Bills to touchdowns on four of their five possessions in the second half. The Bills rallied from"
Fitzpatrick keeps calm to lead historic Bills comeback
November 22
Buffalo News
 
"The Buffalo Bills were incensed as they walked into the locker room at halftime of Sunday's game. They were trailing the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-14. The Bills' defense had just made a goal-line stand and seen the game clock run to zero. But the officials ruled the forward progress of Bengals back Bernard Scott had been stopped at the 1-yard line with 1 second left, which allowed the Bengals to add three more points to their lead with a field goal. "Obviously guys were upset at halftime -- at the refs, at the way we were playing as a team," said Bills safety George Wilson. "Frustration was boiling over at halftime. Guys were complaining. A few guys, including myself, said forget the first"
Ryan Fitzpatrick eager to lead Bills against Bengals
November 21
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Marvin Lewis was chuckling when he said it, but he said it nonetheless. When the Cincinnati Bengals head coach was asked the other day if he was happy that his former backup quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, has found a home in Buffalo where he could play full-time, Lewis said, "No, I wish he was still here with us." It's unlikely that Lewis believes Fitzpatrick is a better quarterback than Cincinnati's long-time starter, former No. 1 overall draft choice Carson Palmer. However, taking just 2010 into account, the argument can be made that Fitzpatrick has been a better player for the 1-8 Bills than the struggling Palmer has been for the 2-7 Bengals. When Fitzpatrick leads the Bills into Paul"
Back to future for Fitzpatrick
November 19
Cincinnati Enquirer
 
"The uniform is different for Ryan Fitzpatrick, but there is a familiar feel to this season of one win in nine games for the Buffalo Bills' quarterback. He lived through the same sort of season two years ago while taking over for an injured Carson Palmer one month into what would be a 4-11-1 campaign, the worst Bengals season in the Marvin Lewis era. For all the failures the Bengals and Fitzpatrick had in 2008, he believes the successes the team had in the second half of the season were important to the Bengals winning the AFC North last year. Fitzpatrick will lead the Bills into Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Coming off Buffalo's first win of the season, 14-12 against"