ORCHARD PARK, NY - He had been an unlikely savior, a bearded gift from the football gods to this star-crossed franchise, a leader in every imaginable way.
The story wasn't supposed to end like this at this place for this guy. It should have been different for Ryan Fitzpatrick.
For the better part of 16 weeks, he had provided hope to those conditioned to believe that no such thing existed. He was the journeyman, who had finally found a home. He was going to return to the place that discarded him to help his new team break a playoff drought that seemed more like 40 years than four.