Bills’ Fitzpatrick reminds Warner of … himself

Published: September 21st, 2011 | Tags: Around the League, Buffalo Bills, Kurt Warner

Most us don’t know what it’s like to get compared to someone likely destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ryan Fitzpatrick, welcome yourself to that exclusive club.

nfl.use('nfl-video', function (Y) { var video = new Y.NFL.Video.Player({ srcNode: "#video-player-09000d5d82272ffc", align: "right", contentId: "09000d5d82272ffc", related: "home", adSetting: "1", dartURL: "http://ad.doubleclick.net/pfadx/nfl.special/blog/home;s1=blog;s2=home;slot=inpage;nfl=ad;tile=3;sz=640x360;ord=?", playerName: "blog_small_embedded", render: true, size: "inline", uniqid: "09000d5d82272ffc"});});

Fitzpatrick, who is tied with some guy named Tom Brady (as well as Matthew Stafford) for the league lead with seven passing touchdowns, is getting a lot of attention around the NFL Network this week. The latest comes from aforementioned quarterback, Kurt Warner.

“I love the way (Fitzpatrick) is playing right now. He reminds me a lot of me,” Warner told “Around the League” Wednesday. “He’s a gunslinger, he’s a guy who attacks you, throws the ball down the field. Unfortunately, I think there’s going to be times this year where he takes a few too many chances and has one of those games with three or four interceptions. But right now, he’s making all the plays for this team.  He’s been extremely impressive and exactly what that young team needs.”

That’s pretty high praise, to say the least. Many questioned the Bills offseason decision not to acquire a quarterback in a trade or the draft. All Fitzpatrick continues to do is prove them right.

Posted in: NFL Network   comments    

Comments may be no longer than 2000 characters and will post to the site shortly after submitting.

View the original article here

Warner: Temper expectations for Jags’ Gabbert

Published: September 21st, 2011 | Tags: Blaine Gabbert, Around the League, Cam Newton, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kurt Warner

The Jaguars’ decision to begin the Blaine Gabbert era has been met with positive feedback, even if it wasn’t a complete surprise.

While Gabbert will become the third rookie quarterback to be handed the reigns this season — joining Cam Newton and Andy Dalton — NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner says the early success of those quarterbacks shouldn’t raise the expectations in Jacksonville.

“I think the big challenge for Gabbert right now is that when you look at this Jaguars team, there are limited weapons around him,” Warner said Wednesday. “They’re going to ask the quarterback to make numerous plays for this football team. Obviously they have Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield, and they will need a steady diet of him, especially in the first few weeks.

“There aren’t a lot of playmakers on the outside he can count on. This team is limited in that regard. There will obviously be a lot of pressure with him being a high pick and everyone thinking he’s going to resurrect this franchise. He’s going to have to do a lot by himself. I worry about him a lot the first few weeks. I think (the Jaguars) know this is a growing year.”

When Newton and Gabbert take the same field Sunday, it might be very clear they’re two different quarterbacks in very different situations.

Posted in: NFL Network   comments    

Comments may be no longer than 2000 characters and will post to the site shortly after submitting.

View the original article here

Warner: Rodgers is among elite quarterbacks

We were all witness to a high level of quarterback play during the 2010 season. Twenty two 3,000-yard passers. Ten quarterbacks had at least 25  touchdowns. Four with passer ratings of 100.0 or better. These are the reasons why many are calling this the “era of the quarterback.”

The strong quarterback play of Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Mark Sanchez this weekend led their teams to the conference championship round.

Let’s focus on Rodgers, because his brilliant performance against the Falcons was nearly without precedent and one of the top performances in recent memory. Rodgers is trending right now, leaving many to opine he’s among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

Chatting about quarterback play earlier with resident NFL signal caller Kurt Warner, he came way from Rodgers’ most recent performance with a familiar feeling. It reminded him a lot of his own performance from a year ago in the wild-card round against Rodgers.

He’s right. Here are the two stat lines:

Warner: 29-33, 379 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT.
Rodgers: 31-36, 366 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, rush TD.

Watching Rodgers now, Warner told me he’s developed an appreciation for his game.

“As a guy who has played the position, I appreciate guys who play the position a particular way,” Warner said. “What I love about Rodgers is he’s playing the game great from inside the pocket. He’s dropping back, making his reads, is accurate with his throws and is making good decisions. He’s prototypical. I appreciate guys that play the position the way I believe it has to be played in the NFL to win.”

So what separates the good quarterbacks from the great quarterbacks? From Warner’s perspective, that divide is among the select few who can make the throws others can’t when the situation is less than ideal. Under pressure. On the move. When you can’t follow through. With defenders in your face.

“To me, the best quarterbacks in this business are the ones who have the ability to throw from different positions,” Warner explained. “Because most guys in this league can throw in a perfect world. You have to be able to make those throws. But where the great ones are separated from everyone else is in their ability to make throws not everyone else can make.

“To me, that’s one of the things that separates Rodgers from so many other people. He doesn’t have to be playing in a perfect world. He can elude pressure, he has the ability to throw with pressure in his face when his feet aren’t set, he can throw when scrambling to the right or left. To me those are things not everyone can be taught, and not everyone can do.”

It’s an interesting take from someone who very recently was doing it himself.

Follow The NFL Network on Twitter @nflnetwork.

Posted in: NFL Network  

View the original article here

Last dance for Warner?

Published: November 9th, 2010 | | Tags: Kurt Warner, Dancing With The Stars, Bristol Palin, Anna Trebunskaya, Jennifer Grey, Brandy, Mark Ballas, Dirty Dancing

Kurt Warner is trying to make the semifinals of “Dancing with the Stars.” In order to do that, he has to surpass other stars who keep racking up higher scores in the contest — from Jennifer Grey of Dirty Dancing fame to R&B singer Brandy.

Warner and his partner, Anna Trebunskaya, amassed one more point than Bristol Palin and her partner, Mark Ballas, dancing the waltz to the Eagles’ classic “Take It to the Limit” on Monday night. The competition is getting heated, and Monday’s score places former
NFL MVP Warner in jeopardy of getting eliminated.

Warner’s kids came to rehearsal to lighten the mood. After watching him dance and giving him a little direction, not even Warner’s own kids gave him all tens.

It’s crunch time. Warner feels it. “There’s only five contestants left,” Warner said. “You definitely feel like it’s the playoffs.”

Tiffany Shine

Posted in: Sidelines  

View the original article here