30 for 42, 320 yards, 2 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions
That's the stat line for Ryan Fitzpatrick from last Sunday's game at Oakland. Not too shabby.
While Fitzpatrick's turnovers carry a large portion of the blame associated with the Titan's losses against the Chiefs and Seattle, he has played much differently since taking over for the injured Jake Locker in the Jaguars game. In those two games he threw 1 TD, 4 interceptions, and had an average QB rating of 52.3. He has since moved on to throw for 5 TDs, 0 interceptions, and has an average rating of 110.7.
Dowell Loggains
First year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains should get a nod and a tip of the hat as well. While some coordinators play their scheme regardless of personnel, Dowell has shown the depth of his knowledge by transforming the offense for Ryan Fitzpatrck.
He has modified the formations and types of plays the Titans run in order to better suit Fitzpatrick's strengths and to what he feels more comfortable with. Gone are the timing routes and deep hitches, as they have been replaced with shallow crosses and spread formations.
The Drive
Ryan Fitzpatrick engineered a game winning drive against the Raiders on Sunday, something he had previously been unable to do. He looked in command of the offense and the situation as he marched the Titans methodically down the field for the final score while taking 6 minutes off the clock, converting 3 third downs in the process.
The team is now Ryan's for the rest of the season as he is no longer just a place holder for Jake Locker. Any GM will tell you that when assembling a roster the desire is to have a backup quarterback that can win you 2 out of 4 games while your starter is down. Just keep the ship afloat so to say. With the Titans currently sitting in the 6th seed of the AFC playoff standings, Fitzpatrick is going to have to have to do more than just that to salvage the Titans season and help keep the coaching staff around.