Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't taken a snap for the Buffalo Bills since 2012, but he still has plenty of friends on the roster. Friends he can't wait to line up against come Sunday.
Two years removed from his release, the 31-year-old signal-caller is now with his fifth team since he was drafted back in 2005, and Sunday marks his first game against the old crew from Western New York.
The veteran holds no grudges about what went down with his former team, telling reporters Wednesday that the matchup Sunday will be "a special game," and that the chance to make some plays against a slew of former teammates will only add to the experience.
"There are definitely no hard feelings with the way that it went down," Fitzpatrick said this week, via buffalobills.com. "I think the little added extra whatever it is I’m going to be feeling is more so because it’s the guys that I’m playing against and just having so many good buddies. That’s what’s going to give me the extra fuel. That extra competiveness in this game.
"It’s not necessarily ill-willed or anything. It’s more so playing against so many of my good friends."
Fitzpatrick's performance last weekend against the Giants is likely one more reason his former teammates are excited to up against him and the Texans offense. He threw three interceptions in that game -- admittedly saying he tried to force too many throws -- and tallied a quarterback rating of less than 60 in the 30-17 loss.
That's welcomed news for a defensive unit that currently has a plus five turnover ratio.
Mistakes from trying to force the ball is something Bills fans are far too familiar with from Fitz's four years with the team, and it's something he reportedly still continues to work on.
"It’s a just a matter of picking and choosing the right spots to do it."
