November 19th 2001

[PaulThePat]

On this day Bill Belichick informed the world that Tom Brady would be his guy for the rest of the season. Drew Bledsoe was now the back up only months after receiving his 10 year $103 million dollar deal

A historical decision which has worked out like nobody could possibly have predicted. What were your thoughts at the time ?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

My thoughts were that Bill had made the right decision, obvious since training camp.
The Globe and other press experts eviscerated BB for depriving Drew, the annointed one, from recaliming 'his' job.

 

[AStack75]

At the time I thought he made the right decision. Stick with the guy who is winning. Although I do remember feeling excited again when Drew came back in the AFCCG vs. Pittsburgh. Nice to have him as a backup.

 

[weswelker#83]

At the time I thought he made the right decision. Stick with the guy who is winning. Although I do remember feeling excited again when Drew came back in the AFCCG vs. Pittsburgh. Nice to have him as a backup.

Bledsoe threw a hell of TD on that game , long missile rocket , don't know if you remember it ?

 

[Michigan Dave]

That was my 21st B-Day. We called Tommy to congratulate him and then did 12 more shots in his honor.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Interestingly enough, BB (IMO) was looking for an excuse to get rid of Bledsoe and avoid a Kosar-esque fiasco. The injury was the perfect catalyst. Did they know Brady would be this good? No. Did BB think, at that time, that Brady was necessarily the answer? No. But, BB did know that Bledsoe was inadequate and needed to be replaced. (Ala Education of a Coach).

 

[GameDay]

Of many wrong calls I had on the Pats, at least this one is not. I wanted Brady right after the Colts game.

But that was because I had been tired of Bledsoe and thought the Pats needed a young QB. I hadn't believed in him 100% until after the Raiders game.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Interestingly enough, BB (IMO) was looking for an excuse to get rid of Bledsoe and avoid a Kosar-esque fiasco. The injury was the perfect catalyst. Did they know Brady would be this good? No. Did BB think, at that time, that Brady was necessarily the answer? No. But, BB did know that Bledsoe was inadequate and needed to be replaced. (Ala Education of a Coach).

Actually they knew he was the one after the Rams loss, ala Patriots Reign. They knew Bledsoe wasn't after the 2000 season, but their hands were tied.

At the time I thought he made the right decision. Stick with the guy who is winning. Although I do remember feeling excited again when Drew came back in the AFCCG vs. Pittsburgh. Nice to have him as a backup.

Actually that was the only time I felt nausea all season... He tried to lose that game, but the football gods and Troy Brown were on our side.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Bledsoe threw a hell of TD on that game , long missile rocket , don't know if you remember it ?

Sure, that would be the long missile rocket 11 yarder to Patten alone in the back of the EZ... Pretty much the same one Brady threw to him in the Superbowl a week later to go up by 2 TD's at the half.

 

[DaBruinz]

Bledsoe threw a hell of TD on that game , long missile rocket , don't know if you remember it ?

Unless you are being sarcastic, I am pretty sure it was a FADE route into the endzone to David Patten..

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playb...by_play&season=2001&week=POST20&override=true

11 yard fade pass to David Patten, who almost didn't catch it because it was so high..

I do remember Bledsoe hitting a defender off the chest with a throw..

 

[nukin]

I actually didn't think it was a good idea at the time

 

[godef]

Bledsoe threw a hell of TD on that game , long missile rocket , don't know if you remember it ?

He also almost threw a pick that would have tied the game late. The defender dropped it.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Unless you are being sarcastic, I am pretty sure it was a FADE route into the endzone to David Patten..

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playb...by_play&season=2001&week=POST20&override=true

11 yard fade pass to David Patten, who almost didn't catch it because it was so high..

I do remember Bledsoe hitting a defender off the chest with a throw..

The penchant for the Bledsoe cult to revise histroy never ceases to amaze me.

Drew DID throw an 11 yd TD, completing a drive started by Brady that was already in Steeler territory. That was his sum total of TDs for the day. shut out in the 2bd half.

And yes, Drew later threw a short swing pass right into the chest of a Steeler LB. Had he been awake and caught it, it would have been a TD and we'd have lost. No SB. Thanks Drew.

And finally, when being sacked, The Statue blithely flipped a pass backwards over his head going God knows where because certainly Drew didn't. Luckily (there was no skill involved) no Pitt player was near where the ball landed.

How folks can romanticise a performance that was fraught with bad, bad decisions, typical of Drew's career, confounds me.

 

[godef]

... And yes, Drew later threw a short swing pass right into the chest of a Steeler LB. Had he been awake and caught it, it would have been a TD and we'd have lost. No SB. Thanks Drew...

In all fairness, this only would have tied the game. I only bother to point this out because of your snideness about others "romanticizing" performances.

 

[indycolts685]

Of many wrong calls I had on the Pats, at least this one is not. I wanted Brady right after the Colts game.

But that was because I had been tired of Bledsoe and thought the Pats needed a young QB. I hadn't believed in him 100% until after the Raiders game.

Was Brady's first start in the NFL against the Colts in the Dome? I remember going to a Colts and Pats game back in 2000 or 2001 and I heard a backup qb was going to be playing for the Pats and I was thinking "cool we have this game" I think it was Brady and he kicked the crap out of us that game..

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Was Brady's first start in the NFL against the Colts in the Dome? I remember going to a Colts and Pats game back in 2000 or 2001 and I heard a backup qb was going to be playing for the Pats and I was thinking "cool we have this game" I think it was Brady and he kicked the crap out of us that game..

No, the game was at NE in week 3 of the '01 season. Pats won 44-13, but it wasn't Brady that kicked the crap out of the Colts that day, it was Manning. He threw 3 picks, 2 were returned for TDs and the 3rd resulted in a Viniatieri field goal. There were also a few Colt fumbles. Brady only threw for 160 yards and no TD, and more importantly no picks.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

On this day Bill Belichick informed the world that Tom Brady would be his guy for the rest of the season. Drew Bledsoe was now the back up only months after receiving his 10 year $103 million dollar deal

A historical decision which has worked out like nobody could possibly have predicted. What were your thoughts at the time ?

The Pats had just lost to the Rams and were 5-5. Honestly, I wasn't sure it was the right decision. Even though Brady was 5 and 3 in those 10 games. But, as each week went by, and the wins piled up, I was convinced. Like GameDay, I was completely on the bandwagon in the Snow Bowl.

And BTW, Bingo was the reason we won in Pittsburgh.......

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

I actually didn't think it was a good idea at the time

I applaud your honesty.

I thought the decision was correct and fairly easy, and as a Drew fan, I was sad for him, but again, thought it was the right decision.

As for the Pittsburgh playoff game, I was excited that Drew was able to contribute (I was a fan of his) but also had my stomach turning as he would hold on to and pat the ball. Also remember the one he flipped blindly over his head, I almost threw up on that play.

I will also say, NO ONE could have foreseen how well Brady would play for this long. That part is truly shocking to me, and something I appreciate. I loved hearing Brady talk about his Michigan days and how during the week of practice he didn't know if he'd play on Saturday, so he had to treat practice like a game. Very insightful, he was telling Burton and Lobel on EEI on Monday morning, I listened intently, TWICE. Once in the morning, and once on the drive home.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

No, the game was at NE in week 3 of the '01 season. Pats won 44-13, but it wasn't Brady that kicked the crap out of the Colts that day, it was Manning. He threw 3 picks, 2 were returned for TDs and the 3rd resulted in a Viniatieri field goal. There were also a few Colt fumbles. Brady only threw for 160 yards and no TD, and more importantly no picks.

at the time i was just ecstatic, now i'm orgasmic. seriously , though, i was glad he replaced bledsoe. i just thought brady looked better.

i remember a patten game against indy where he threw,ran and caught a td. not sure, maybe at indy.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

at the time i was just ecstatic, now i'm orgasmic. seriously , though, i was glad he replaced bledsoe. i just thought brady looked better.

i remember a patten game against indy where he threw,ran and caught a td. not sure, maybe at indy.

I was (and am) on the west coast, so none of the Patriots games until the Rams regular season game, and of course, the playoffs were available on TV. Now, seriously, did you think right away, or after a game or three, that Brady was better? Just asking. Out here, I kept waiting for Bledsoe to get his job back, even thought Bill might go with him for the SB. Obviously, glad I was wrong (or ill-informed).