mr peeples
Banned
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2018
- Messages
- 543
- Reaction score
- 136
- Points
- 43
Back when we got word that Winston would be out for our week 3 game vs. TB, most of us thought it was probably an easy win, even more so then when we thought Winston would be the QB.
Fitzpatrick? Journeyman QB who had just about 3 decent seasons in his career. But this season he is on pace for his best season ever, by far.
http://www.nfl.com/player/ryanfitzpatrick/2506581/careerstats
But what happened? TB was a bad team WITH the #1 overall draft pick Winston in at QB. Surely, they would be worse with a career journeyman in there.
But it didn't turn out that way. Why? They are clearly better with Fitz in there.
How?
Chemistry. Leadership. The players BELIEVING in Fitz. That is the total difference in this team.
Did you see "Hard Knocks" last year on TB? Anything jump out at you? It did me.
Winston is pretty unlikeable. He likes to act like he is the "new messiah" - that the earth revolves around him. They kind of tried to sell this on the show, but it felt fake. I don't think most of the
players really bought the act. His pregame speeches were beyond over the top, and Fitz even tried to politely let him know it. If I were a teammate, I'd have trouble buying into the JW act on
several levels:
1.) He's so obnoxious. There is a vast difference between being quirky, funny and a little odd vs. being a total horse's ***. Jim McMahon was the former, JW is the later.
2.) He really does seem to lack a general moral compass. We don't require our football stars to be choir boys, but it's hard to dismiss his litany of off-color acts. Many of them, taken
in a vacuum, may seem defendable, but not in collection. And you KNOW his teammates know who he really is. His latest stint didn't seem to surprise anyone. On the accusation of
grabbing a female Uber driver's private parts, no one seemed surprised or willing to defend him. Standing on a lunch table and yelling "F--k that p---sy" may not be the crime of the
century, but it's starting to look like that illuminated how this guy thinks.
3.) He is incredibly self-centered. Sure, he puts on an act that he cares about his teammates, but is it very believable? I don't think they buy it.
In Fitz, the team buys into him being real. Completely legitimate. He doesn't say one thing but do another. They simply believe this guy and want to win for him. And will do what it takes to make it happen.
All this being said, if Fitz' carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight, it won't be the 1st time. And, hopefully, it happens Monday night. But in retrospect, it isn't surprising this team is playing better football than when JW was behind center.
Fitzpatrick? Journeyman QB who had just about 3 decent seasons in his career. But this season he is on pace for his best season ever, by far.
http://www.nfl.com/player/ryanfitzpatrick/2506581/careerstats
But what happened? TB was a bad team WITH the #1 overall draft pick Winston in at QB. Surely, they would be worse with a career journeyman in there.
But it didn't turn out that way. Why? They are clearly better with Fitz in there.
How?
Chemistry. Leadership. The players BELIEVING in Fitz. That is the total difference in this team.
Did you see "Hard Knocks" last year on TB? Anything jump out at you? It did me.
Winston is pretty unlikeable. He likes to act like he is the "new messiah" - that the earth revolves around him. They kind of tried to sell this on the show, but it felt fake. I don't think most of the
players really bought the act. His pregame speeches were beyond over the top, and Fitz even tried to politely let him know it. If I were a teammate, I'd have trouble buying into the JW act on
several levels:
1.) He's so obnoxious. There is a vast difference between being quirky, funny and a little odd vs. being a total horse's ***. Jim McMahon was the former, JW is the later.
2.) He really does seem to lack a general moral compass. We don't require our football stars to be choir boys, but it's hard to dismiss his litany of off-color acts. Many of them, taken
in a vacuum, may seem defendable, but not in collection. And you KNOW his teammates know who he really is. His latest stint didn't seem to surprise anyone. On the accusation of
grabbing a female Uber driver's private parts, no one seemed surprised or willing to defend him. Standing on a lunch table and yelling "F--k that p---sy" may not be the crime of the
century, but it's starting to look like that illuminated how this guy thinks.
3.) He is incredibly self-centered. Sure, he puts on an act that he cares about his teammates, but is it very believable? I don't think they buy it.
In Fitz, the team buys into him being real. Completely legitimate. He doesn't say one thing but do another. They simply believe this guy and want to win for him. And will do what it takes to make it happen.
All this being said, if Fitz' carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight, it won't be the 1st time. And, hopefully, it happens Monday night. But in retrospect, it isn't surprising this team is playing better football than when JW was behind center.
