Simply put, Ryan Fitzpatrick was good enough. He did enough to not lose us the game but did enough to ensure a Bucs victory. With a QBR of 64.2, 187 passing yards, and 1 TD / 1 INT, it was anything but a flashy performance. That being said, he got the job done. Forget about how “boring” Sunday’s team performance was; because at the end of the day a win is a win.
Even though he is not quite at the “Fitzmagic” level yet, I believe he is doing exactly what a backup QB should do. Be an efficient game manager. Don’t try to play hero, just do your part, and that is exactly what he did Sunday. As we prepare to take on Miami next week I think you will see less of that rust we saw last week. As Sunday was a great chance for Fitz to acclimate to a real game’s tempo. No amount of practice reps can do that, and even though it might seem over stated of adjusting to that temp. It really can make all the difference.
With Fitzpatrick having fully acclimated at this point, I believe that with efficient QB play and another solid defensive performance we will have a chance to move closer to .500. If we do pull out another win Sunday, this will lessen the pressure for Winston to come back sooner than his shoulder would allow. The way I see Bucs brass must let that franchise QB shoulder rest up as long as it needs, and let the backup play his role. As no one wants Winston’s injury to have a similar fate as Andrew Luck.
