dhamz

That is only because people have no clue what mobility means at QB. They think it is Michael Vick bailing out of pass plays and running. It isn't. It is the ability to take a step left, a step right that is often the difference between a strip sack and a 40 yard completion. Bledsoe was a statue in the pocket. Brady's ability to move in the pocket is probably as good as anyone who ever played the position.

BennyBledsoe

I find it amazing to believe nobody was at all worried Brady might fall 'back to Earth' after 2001. There are more than a few Super Bowl QBs who weren't exactly All-Pros, even (or especially) in recent history.

Trent Dilfer, for one. Rex Grossman, Jake Delhomme, Kerry Collins...there's also the QBs who didn't have success for long...Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon, Chris Chandler, Stan Humphries...

Not saying I didn't like Brady but there was no track record of success for him.

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Up until 1993, I didn't know the nickname 'Patsies' was an insult... that's what I grew up with during the late 80's and early 90's.

Go PATRIOTS!

MoLewisrocks

Nor was there any for Drew beyond the ability to accumulate empty yardage stats. I think most of us trusted a couple of things: Belichick's evaluation of Brady, Belichick's evaluation of Bledsoe, and what our eyes saw relative to the poise, drive, comportment of the youngster throughout that season. This team wasn't winning in spite of him, he wasn't just staying out of it's way, he was capable of both leading it and not hurting it. He made mistakes, but never the same ones twice. He learned from his mistakes and remained humble even in the face of being named SB MVP. Drew made the same mistakes over and over, and often at the least opportune times (including when there was no reason to). He was capable of carrying you one week and alternately killing you the next.

When Brady spiked that ball onto his fingertips, nonchalantly flipped it to the ref, and quietly jogged off the field with 7 seconds left for his money kicker to do his job, after doing exactly what needed to be done with 1:20 left and no TO's in a tie game where a coin flip opened the door for a team with all the 4th quarter momentum on it's side to roll a gassed defense, you either knew what IT was or you probably never really will.

reflexblue

After i saw Brady play his first game or two i just thoungt he made better dicisions. I NEVER thought at that time that he would be as good as he turned out.

PatsWickedPissah

That drive followed by Brady's spike walkoff and the AV's winning kick exorcized 40 years of demons. Greatest sports moment ever for me.

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Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

Mogamedogz

I wanted Drew back badly... and I was PISSED when they benched him.

That said... im glad TB made me look foolish!

OtisCampbell

Whatever, call it pocket sense

PatsDeb

I remember feeling bad for Drew because he had done so much for the Pats, but I thought BB should stick with the hot hand, which thankfully, he did!

IcyPatriot

Brady ... all day long ... Bledsoe drove me crazy.

I was willing to wait for the few years it would take to develop him ...

The bonus was he only needed 2000 and 2001 ...

Brono

9:02

YouTube - Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Pats #15