Bills’ Fitzpatrick beats hometown team
Oct 15, 2012, 12:10 AM | Updated: 4:25 pm
October 14, 2012: Ryan Fitzpatrick enjoys return to Arizona
The game is about wins and losses.
And while his numbers won’t “WOW!” you—they were pedestrian at best, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick did just enough to help the Buffalo Bills defeat the team he grew up watching as a kid from Gilbert.
“We came out here with one goal, and that was to win,” he said after the 19-16 OT victory over the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium Sunday.
“In the NFL you celebrate those victories, because we know they’re tough to come by.”
Facing his childhood team for the first time, Fitzpatrick completed 18-of-32 passes for 153 yards.
For the second straight week he did not throw for any touchdowns. But more importantly, he did not make any mistakes—at least none that saw him get intercepted. He had been picked off five times in the last two weeks.
“This was a very satisfying win for us,” Fitzpatrick said.
He was playing in front of several friends and family, including his former high school head coach Mike Reardon.
Fitzpatrick earned All-State honors after setting 12 school records as a senior at Highland High School.
“I got to spend some time at my house out here. I got to spend some time at my parents’ house,” he said of the Bills’ weeklong stay in the Valley.
“It was nice for me to relax a little bit. You don’t get that during the season at all, especially during a game week. It was nice for me to get out here. Waking up to sunshine and blue skies, I think everybody has a deep appreciation for Arizona now.”
