ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis isn’t surprised with the way quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken charge of the Buffalo Bills offense.
“He’s very dedicated, he’s very smart and intelligent, he has good skills, he’s able to prolong the series and do things, and he’s a great teammate,” Lewis said of the former Bengals quarterback. “The two years we had Ryan here he was excellent for us.”
He’s been pretty good for the Bills this year, despite the team’s 1-8 record. Since taking over the woeful Buffalo offense in Week 3, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 14 touchdowns, completed 59 percent of his passes and owns a respectable passer rating of 85.5.
His 16-yard touchdown pass to Fred Jackson in Buffalo’s 14-12 win over Detroit Sunday was the 10th straight game in which he’d thrown a TD strike, the longest streak by a Bills QB since Drew Bledsoe threw a touchdown in the first 10 games of the 2002 season.
“I think that I can play in this league, and I think that’s been shown over the last two years,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think as I’ve gotten older and as I’ve gotten more experience I’ve become more comfortable, and I think it has shown.”
Against Baltimore in Week 7, he passed for a career-high 382 yards to become the first Bills quarterback to throw for over 300 yards since J.P. Losman had 340 yards against Houston in 2006.
“He’s a smart quarterback, and he’s not afraid to throw the ball and give people chances,” receiver Lee Evans said. “He trusts guys and tells them where he wants to throw the football, and kind of just makes everyone comfortable.”
A backup with the Bengals after they acquired him in a trade with St. Louis in September 2007, Fitzpatrick developed a strong relationship with starter Carson Palmer. When Palmer went down with an elbow injury that forced him to miss all but four games in 2008, Fitzpatrick filled in and completed nearly 60 percent of his 372 passing attempts.
That was enough to persuade the Bills to sign him in February 2009 to be Trent Edwards’ backup.
“I think they’ve been very impressed with Ryan,” Lewis said. “They signed him as a free agent player on the eve of free agency right away, so the personnel people there felt like Ryan was a good talent and would do a good job. Over the last two years he’s had the opportunity to do that.”
After ending last season as the starter, Fitzpatrick lost out to Edwards when new coach Chan Gailey put the job up for grabs during training camp. But Edwards faltered and was demoted after a terrible outing in Green Bay in Week 2, and was subsequently released after the Week 3 game at New England.
With nobody hanging over his shoulder, Fitzpatrick has flourished.
“That always helps. If you’re worried about making mistakes at the quarterback position, I can only imagine how hard it is to play,” center Geoff Hangartner said. “He’s out there slinging it around, and he’s confident. He’s made some great plays for us because of his confidence.”
Bengals receiver Terrell Owens, who played with Fitzpatrick last year in Buffalo, agreed.
“I think what he’s doing now is not surprising to me,” Owens said. “It’s very deserving of somebody. He’s been patient, sat there quietly, and when his number was called, he was ready.”
Though Lewis chuckled when he said he’d like to see Fitzpatrick still wearing a Bengals uniform, he’s plenty happy to see that Fitzpatrick is shedding his “journeyman” label.
“You’re always happy to see guys that you’ve been around and that you’ve had a chance to coach do well and have an opportunity to keep playing the game that they love and enjoy, particularly guys that work very hard and are dedicated to the game like Ryan,” Lewis said. “He’s a good example for all of the other players.”
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