NFL Predictions Week 3: Ryan Fitzpatrick Won't Slow Down

We're only two weeks into the 2011 regular season, but it's already apparent that the league's quarterbacks are going to have fun this year.

We all know about Tom Brady. Ditto Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees. They're just a couple of many quarterbacks who have gotten off to hot starts, and they deserve plenty of credit.

But make sure you save some for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Harvard alum has led the Buffalo Bills to a 2-0 start, and he's done it by being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. In Buffalo's two games, Fitzpatrick has completed better than 63 percent of his passes for 472 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception.

Those seven touchdowns, by the way, tie him with Brady and Stafford for the NFL lead. Hats off to whoever made that prediction...which is nobody.

At any rate, Fitzpatrick is going to have to keep it up if he wants to lead the Bills to a 3-0 record. After all, Brady and the New England Patriots are coming to town in Week 3, and that means Fitzpatrick is going to have to pile up some gaudy numbers.

Whatever you do, don't think he can't do it. All you have to do is follow the numbers.

It's not so much what Fitzpatrick has done on offense as it is what the Pats have done on defense. They've had their struggles defending the pass in the early goings, as they allowed Chad Henne to torch them for 416 yards in Week 1 and then allowed Philip Rivers to gouge them for 378 yards in Week 2. That's an average of 381 passing yards allowed per game, a figure that currently ranks second-to-last in the NFL.

Of course, this has a lot to do with the fact that the Pats make their opponents throw the ball by putting them in early holes. That much is evident in the fact both Henne and Rivers threw the ball 40-plus times against the Pats.

The point, in so many words, is that Fitzpatrick is going to be throwing the ball against the Patriots. Necessity will demand it.

The question, then, is whether or not Fitzpatrick will be able to make the most of his throws. And after watching him pick the Oakland Raiders apart in Week 2, I have no doubt whatsoever that he's going to be able to. It would be a stretch to say that Fitzpatrick is among the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the league, but the dude is nothing if not smart. He's got a little Rich Gannon in him, if I don't say so myself.

This is not to say that Fitzpatrick and the Bills are actually going to beat the Pats, mind you. I like Fitzpatrick, but I like Brady more.

But it will be a good duel. And at the end of the day, Fitzpatrick's legend will have grown.

Prediction: 320 yards passing, three touchdowns, two interceptions.