QB Fitzpatrick: Washington Solution or Problem vs. Dak’s Cowboys?

"I'm not willing to say that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the common denominator between the Washington Football Team dominating this, when we all know the best quarterback resides in Dallas," ESPN’s Marcus Spears says.

Mike Fisher | Jun 22, 2021

If the NFC East in 2021 comes down to quarterback play, we may have our winner - at least in the eyes of one prominent analyst.

The justifiable view from the Washington Football Team? They won the NFC East thanks to a dominant defense, all while playing grab-bag under center as they started four different quarterbacks.

And now? Entering the 2021 NFL season, head coach Ron Rivera and Washington, having signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, has some stability.

But having Fitzpatrick, Spears says, is not the same as having Dak Prescott. And he thinks the QB differences directly correlate to who is winning the NFC East this year.

"Ryan Fitzpatrick's last full season was 2015,” Spears noted. He played nine games last year, went 4-3 … It was nothing spectacular, but I think that we love this guy so much we want to see him be successful no matter what.

“I love the guy. I want him to play quarterback for my team, seeing the things that he's done. … I'm not as bullish on Ryan Fitzpatrick as everybody else."

Spears is bullish on Cowboys star Dak Prescott, who played in just five games last season before sustaining that gruesome season-ending ankle injury. Dak is fully recovered now - and has a career 7-1 record against Washington.

"We're talking about the Washington Football Team like they're going to come out and drub everybody in the NFC East," Spears said. "I don't believe that to be the case."

Published Jun 22, 2021

MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.