All eyes were on back-up QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick, opening night for the Buccaneers against the Saints. Some doubting how well he would play, and others excited to see ‘FitzMagic’ bring home the win.
It’s no secret that the Bucs went into this season as the underdogs, considering our star Quarterback, Jameis Winston’s, suspension for the first three games.
However, Fitzpatrick, along with the rest of the team, shut down the skeptics and surprised many when they came out on top with a 48-40 win.
ProFootball Talk’s, Mike Florio, caught up with Fitzpatrick while he was on his way to the team’s bus and asked him, “What would you have said if I’d told you that the Bucs would score 48 points at New Orleans?”
”I would have believed you.” Fitz replied. Also adding that the team had, “a lot of confidence coming out of training camp.”
Fitzpatrick was also asked by Laura Okmin, of FOX Sports, after the game, “If you would have known before this game that you were going to either throw for a career high over 400 yards, 5 touchdowns; throwing 4, running for 1. Or you’d be the second leading rusher on this team, rushing for more yards than Alvin Kamari today; which would have surprised you more?”
To which Fitz replied, “I’m never surprised at anything I do.”
Okmin then asked him how he keeps his confidence after so many years in the league.
“I mean that’s the only reason I’m still standing right now, you know. Fitzpatrick said. “Because there’s been plenty of situations where people have lost confidence in me, but if you never lose it in yourself then, you know, this stuff can happen.”
Buccaneers.com posted that Sunday’s game between the Bucs and Saints was the highest scoring Week One game in NFL history, with 88 points; surpassing the previous record of 86, between Dallas and Buffalo in 1971. Not to mention, Fitzpatrick marking the highest average in a single game by any NFL Quarterback in the last decade, with 14.89 yards per pass attempt.
In the words of Coach Koetter, “I am happy to announce, that FitzMagic is alive and well!”
