I remember saying Fitzy would be back within a few games noting that Winston would end up throwing a bunch of INTs and he'd have to come in to save the day. He ALMOST did but the defense is to blame there. Fitzy did his job taking them down the field and put points on the board yet the D came up short allowing enough yardage for a 'chip shot' NFL field goal.
Hate on him all you want but he's only played 5 out of 8 weeks this season and is still sitting around QB15. Did I mention he outpaced the likes of Brady, Rodgers, Goff and all other QBs through Week 3. Oh yeah, he also broke a few NFL records during the first three weeks! Yet, most still throw shade his way for some reason. Yes, he is streaky when it comes to fantasy. Yes, he eventually throws too many interceptions. No, you didn't play him and win those weeks, did you?
Do you remember those big names he knocked off at the beginning of the season? Week 1 it was just Drew Brees and the NOLA Saints, no biggie. Week 2 was the defending Super Bowl Champs, the shmEAGLES, big whoop. Yes, he lost to Big Ben the following week but he put the team in position to win, just like this past week after coming in raw against Cincy. Again, he put the Bucs in a position to win but the defense faltered...AGAIN!
In Week 4 the old Fitzy revealed himself, it was only a matter of time. After a simply piss-poor performance, Dirk Koetter pulled him for Winston who went on to lose the game...hooray!
I made moves on the waiver wire and trading blocks trying to get Fitzy as my backup during Week 2 but nothing went through until Week 3. By the time I had him on a couple rosters, he was benched for Winston. One of the trades was with a good friend who is also a Tampa fan. Initially I thought he may have gotten over on me since he got Winston and Allen Robinson for Fitzmagic. He thought so too, but I told him time will tell and Fitz would probably be back in again after a couple weeks along with a ton of INTs from Jameis.
So what exactly does the future hold for Mr. Magic? I still believe he's likely to play out the majority of the remaining season for Tampa. However, I'm sure he'll have his typical Hallmark game with at least three interceptions. I honestly think Dirk Koetter needs to adapt a revolving QB strategy going forward, which I think would be an NFL first. As soon as Fitzy throws an interception take him out and let Winston shine for a few possessions. Allow Fitzy to get cold again and call his number to come in for that first touch 50+ yard TD pass. If you haven't noticed, that's kinda what he does best.
I'd would love to see another epic post-game interview from that bearded bastard. I'll never forget the last one when he came out donning all of DJAX's gear and jewelry looking like Connor McGregor giving interviews before his next fight (sans the random bus attacks and big mouth of course).
At this point, it's likely still up in the air whether or not Fitzpatrick will even play next week but hopefully Koetter and the rest of the Bucs management has pulled their head out of their own asses finally. That's likely a difficult task for them to accomplish given it's been solidly lodged in there for a few years now. Fitzpatrick is the laxative to flush that shit out (pardon my French)!
Week 9 brings the Carolina Panthers down to Tampa Bay for a battle on the gridiron in Florida which is finally feeling the touch of Fall with a welcome slight drop in temperature. The Bucs defense will need to show up to put another win on the board, no matter which QB starts. Alex Smith is a heavily underrated QB in my opinion. He quietly was a top 5 QB last year and has the capability of picking apart defenses piece-by-piece with his notably short yet accurate passes.
I won't get into it about Alex Smith but I guess you have the wiggle room in your roster to release a talent like his when you have a beast like Patrick Mahommes patiently chomping at the bit for his turn to shine, and shine he certainly has!
How do you feel about Fitzpatrick's chances at holding the helm in Tampa moving forward?
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