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.

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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.

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Jacobs has chance to prove himself

Published: November 24th, 2010 | Tags: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs has been one of the more frustrating backs in fantasy football over recent seasons. You see him barrel over a guy like Redskins S LaRon Landry, and he seems like he should be a fantasy stud.

Yet, he continues to disappoint. Like the latest television show that is supposed to be just like “Lost.”

Jacobs may get his chance, however, to right those wrongs. Coach Tom Coughlin announced the Jacobs will be the No. 1 running back Sunday against the Jaguars. Coughlin apparently has had enough of Ahmad Bradshaw‘s fumbles and cannot tolerate turnovers.

And if that’s the case, should we expect QB Eli Manning to be replaced by Sage Rosenfels, too?

Jacobs becomes a solid No. 2 or flex starter against the Jaguars this week, as the Giants figure to run the ball more with top receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith sidelined. Jacobs already took the goal-line attempts, so any added rushing attempts only makes him more valuable.

Bradshaw owners should continue to hold on to him, though. But keep him on the bench until Coughlin’s rotation becomes clearer.

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy LIVE.

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Vick needs to protect himself to help Eagles

The magic that makes Michael Vick so special, and maybe the MVP of the entire league this season, is exactly what could also lead to his demise. It’s the classic double-edged sword.

It’s going to be a problem that Vick really doesn’t know how to protect himself on the field. He doesn’t make people miss, he doesn’t slide and he doesn’t go out of bounds. I think it’s going to be an issue for the Eagles, because their offense all but stops without him.

Vick just can’t get out of harm’s way sometimes, leading to unnecessary hits. I don’t think there’s any way he survives the season the way he’s playing.

Teams can’t stop Vick, but he can stop himself.

In a way I feel like I’m criticizing Vick, taking him aside and giving him an earful. But he  needs to understand how valuable he is to the entire franchise. By taking these hits, he’s putting the Eagles’ entire season in jeopardy. There’s no question that Andy Reid could win his first Super Bowl this year. The Eagles have all the tools to do it, and Vick is the key ingredient.

Part of Vick’s magic, though, is the unpredictability of what he does. Nobody really knows where’s he’s going to go next. It’s like squeezing Jello. You just don’t know where he’s going to come out from.

It’s almost comical the amount of attention Vick and DeSean Jackson get from defenses because of their speed. But that will all fall apart without Vick. It’s not an indictment on Kevin Kolb, either, but he can’t make defenses do what Vick makes them do. The Giants showed their concern for Vick in everything they did, using schemes against the Eagles they hadn’t used all season. We’re going to see that from teams every week.

There’s a certain arrogance about Vick, who has a Superman tattoo on his hand. But that’s what he is, and he knows it. But he literally has to take it down just a notch. He can still make all the plays and still be the MVP and win a Super Bowl. But he doesn’t need to take on safeties, dive head-first between players and avoid going out of bounds. He needs to be his own safety net.

I don’t even think this year’s MVP is really about statistics. It’s about exciting your team and your fan base. Vick has Jason Peters, a classic underachiever, playing the best football of his life. Everyone wants to be out there and be a part of it. He’s energized the entire franchise. That’s what special players can do.

You don’t want to take away what makes Vick the special player he is, but I would love to explain to him that he can’t continue to let guys get their shots in. He’s done that in the past, but now he’s playing at a totally different level. He needs to be a little bit more like Peyton Manning.

Live to play another play.

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Vick has played himself into MVP conversation

After watching Michael Vick on Monday night, if there was ever any doubt that he’s an MVP candidate, it was erased in a hurry.

A hurry, as in less than a half of football.

What we saw was not only Vick being scintillating, but a team that is now totally in his hands. The conversation with quarterbacks is usually about whether a team is “theirs” or not. Well, there’s no doubt in my mind the Eagles are, very happily, following Vick. That mindset has spread, because it’s not just the offense. The defense has picked up on the energy, and their game has jumped up because they have a leader and a guy they believe in.

I’m also of the opinion that this debate isn’t simply about Vick being the MVP, but also about who will be the first-team All-Pro QB, the best player at his position. That honor has been the bailiwick of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees the last seven seasons.

Fans, however, seem to associate more with the MVP Award. Focusing on what has been a QB-driven award recently, I have to put Vick heavily in the conversation with Manning, Brady, Brees and Philip Rivers.

When it’s time to sit and analyze it for the final time, if Vick continues to throw and run the ball as proficiently as he has (to the tune of 15 TDs and zero turnovers) and if the Eagles win the NFC East, it could very well be his award. It’s difficult for me to get past the snapshot of his most recent performance. But my leader right now is Manning, and he’s won games. He’s followed closely by Rivers, who will be even more in the discussion if the Chargers win the AFC West. And Vick is more than just in the conversation.

I know Vick as MVP is almost tough to grasp, but throw all of this into the hopper and let the debate begin.

Follow me on Twitter @CFD22 and follow The NFL Network @nflnetwork.

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