Ryan Fitzpatrick – June 5, 2019
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Wednesday, June 5, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(We noticed you completed several long touchdown passes. Thinking about the whole of OTA’s and minicamp, how do you feel about the way you’ve been throwing the ball, particularly the deep ball?) – “Personally, I’ve made a lot of progress in that area in the last few years. It has really started to show up for me. Some of it is mentality. A lot of it is the guys I’m throwing to and some unbelievable playmakers, and a lot of it is just the communication, expectation before the ball even gets thrown of what we want from those guys and how they expect the ball. There’s a lot of things that go into it, but (it is) certainly something that I’ve really improved on as my career has gone on.”
(You mentioned progress. Head Coach Brian Flores said today that he has seen some progress but he has set some high standards, and in a way he feels you guys are behind. Is it just a matter of time to get things together?) – “I think especially in a new system with a lot of new guys getting familiar with each other, we’re going to be playing catchup the whole offseason really. Once we get into training camp, it’s going to be the same thing. I think it’s been a very successful offseason in terms of the attendance, in terms of the attention to detail and the work. It has not been perfect by and means, but I think we’re headed in the right direction. I think everybody also understands the work that’s in front of us and the fact that we’re not even close to being where we need to be.”
(When you hit a deep ball like you did a few to WR DeVante Parker and a few others today, does that ignite something different for you than any other pass?) – “It depends. Some of it is (the) situation in the game. Some of it is if the corner got me earlier in the game or earlier in my career or something. There are a lot of different factors that go into it. I told DeVante when he walked into the building today that that play when we did the 2-minute drill is going to happen on the first play. He did a great job with his release and getting down the field on that one.”
(What have you learned about WR DeVante Parker through your time together here?) – “He’s done a nice job. (His) attention to detail, like I said. He does a good job tracking the ball, has a nice catching radius. He’s a big, physical guy and he has been impressive thus far. We have a lot of work to go. There will be a lot of stuff chemistry-wise we’re just going to continue to get better at. We had a mix-up in 2-minute even, so once you think you’ve got the communication down, something like that happens. We have to be on the same page 100 percent of the time and we’ll just continue to work at it.”
(How did you know that play was going to happen? Did you look at the script?) – “No. It was just the particular defense that they played. In terms of the confidence I have in DeVante (Parker), I felt like he deserved the opportunity and he ran a great route.”
(I know you said there is a lot to go, but as far as your standard, how have you played up to your own expectations so far and how confident are you that you’ll be the Week 1 starter?) – “It’s the offseason, so we’re not getting hit right now. We’re just kind of installing stuff and really it’s the base stuff on offense and defense. It got a little more exotic as camp when on, but there’s a lot of things we’ll face, a lot more adversity during the season and actual games. I think that as a team, as an offense, even me as a quarterback, I think we all made progress in the right direction but our work is not done.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores made it sound today like the quarterback competition is going to go pretty deep into training camp and the preseason. How does that impact the dynamic in the quarterback room?) – “Not at all. We’re all working in there trying to learn as much as we can. It’s always important to have a good room, guys rooting for each other and all of that. We’ve had a good room thus far.”
(You mentioned catchup. Once minicamp is over tomorrow until training camp starts, you have about six weeks or so. Do you just focus on this or do you take some time off for yourself, take a breather?) – “This is now always kind of on your mind with the season coming up and everything, but I also obviously have a big family. There’s also a commitment there of just being able to spend some time with them and relax and get away from football a little bit. The training will continue, but there’s also going to be plenty of fun had, lots of swimming and whatever else we’re going to do when we go back to Arizona for a little bit. It’s definitely a time to get away from it and rest a little bit although it’s always in the back of your mind.”
(Having played in Florida, do you have a plan for how swampy it gets during training camp?) – “It’s just something you deal with. You get acclimated to it because you’re in it every day. Same thing when I was in Buffalo in the snow. You just get acclimated to it because that’s what you’re living in every day. The heat will be tough in terms of the dog days of training camp and guys making sure they’re hydrating and all that, but I don’t have to run as much as they do.”
(Blizzard or 100 percent humidity, what would you take?) – “Practice or game?”
(Let’s say games.) – “One snow game a year isn’t bad. One snow game a year is kind of fun.”
(How would you say your relationship building, particularly with the receiver corps, is going?) – “You don’t try to force anything. We’ve all kind of played football for a long time. Some of them have been here for a while. Guys have been in different places – young guys, old guys. Everything kind of progresses naturally and it is a good group of guys, it’s a good locker room. Not just in that wide receiver group, but (the) offense as a whole. I’ve had a real pleasure just getting to know everybody and working with everybody. It’s been a fun group.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores has said that in a competition, particularly in a quarterback competition, he looks at everything all of the time – every practice, every drill, everything. Do you take account of every day, kind of like keeping score for yourself?) – “I don’t think it’s keeping score, but I think it’s important to learn that everything matters. That’s something I’ve learned throughout my career. These little drills that (Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks) Coach (Jim) Caldwell is putting us through on the side, they matter. They come up in games. The attention to detail you have when you’re doing it on air or when you’re doing it on a practice field shows up in a game. It shows up all the time. That’s why the drills are there for a reason. He’s seen a lot of football. Once you figure out that everything matters, and some of that I learned the hard way through not doing it right the first time on the field during a game, that lesson gets knocked into your head and you don’t forget it.”
(Today seemed to be a good day for you.) – “I come out here and do the best that I can every single day. I know every time, I’m a perfectionist. I know today wasn’t perfect and there’s already some stuff on my mind that I have to go talk to some players about, some coaches about and have to work on myself. We still have a long way to go.”
(Do you get to celebrate the joys, though? Some of the highlight plays?) – “It depends on which one it is throughout the day. Yeah, there’s always a couple throws a day that get me fired up a little bit.”
(You mentioned Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell. What have you learned from him since you’ve been here?) – “I think more than anything with him, the word that comes to mind is calm, steady influence, perspective. He has plenty of wisdom that is always great. Whether it’s him just making a comment here or there in meetings or going up to him and asking him a few questions. There was some stuff today that I didn’t feel comfortable with the way I was throwing that I just said ‘When you’re watching film, make sure you watch these few plays and just let me know what you think.’ It’s great to have a guy like that that has really been around and seen it all. The perspective that he has on life and as a man is very nice to be around.”
