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Fitzpatrick insists he's focused on Steelers as Winston nears return

Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Ryan Fitzpatrick wouldn't take the bait Friday when asked if he should remain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starting quarterback once Jameis Winston is reinstated from suspension.

"When everything happened in the offseason and it became that I was going to start the first three games, that's where all my focus went - into these first three games," Fitzpatrick said, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

The journeyman backup will lead the Bucs into a Monday Night Football affair versus the Pittsburgh Steelers - the evening before Winston returns from a three-game suspension - to cap the Week 3 schedule.

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Fitzpatrick leads the NFL in passing yardage after two weeks and has thrown eight touchdowns against one interception. His connection with deep-ball specialist DeSean Jackson has been particularly stunning given Jackson's struggles last year while playing with Winston.

"I just wanted to do whatever I could possibly do to get this team to 3-0 and we're sitting here right now at 2-0 with a chance at it," Fitzpatrick added. "So far, so good. But I am so focused on this game and trying to get it done with Pittsburgh and trying to get to that 3-0 goal that I had set for myself and the team this offseason that that's what I'm focused on."

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