Buccaneers: 5 pleasant surprises through Week 5
By Ryan Doyle
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
What hasn’t been said already about Fitzpatrick’s scorching start?
The Hall of Fame displayed his jersey after making history as the first player to throw for over 400 yards in the first three games in a season. “FitzMagic” was the number one story come Monday morning, at least for a few weeks.
Just days before his gear arrived, Fitzpatrick was benched. It was a meteoric rise for the journeyman quarterback, but an even faster fall.
Fitzpatrick shocked the NFL world by outdueling Drew Brees and tearing apart the defending champion Eagles the next week. A team that no one expected to compete in a challenging division suddenly sat with a 2-0 record.
He’s come back down to Earth since, but his ability to lead Tampa Bay to the two early wins might be how fans remember the 2018 season.
Fitzpatrick’s stint as the Bucs starter is likely over for good, but he put up some solid numbers. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,356 yards. He tacked on 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in only 3.5 games.