Drew Bledsoe: It took me a while before I could cheer for the pats

[Nikolai]

If Drew had a little bit of cat-like quickness

 

[signbabybrady]

Not harsh just reality. He played poorly.
He didn't exactly "drive them down the field" he drove them from the + 40.
After that he was 7/18 for 66 yards and would have handed the game away with a terrible pick but it was dropped.

Do you think we win that game without that TD?

I don't think Damon Huard scores that TD and I don't think the whole team STs and D included would have responded the same to Huard.

Love him or hate him Drew was the exact spark they needed when Brady went down. And scoring on that drive (even if misguided) gave the whole team the confidence they needed after seeing the boy wonder go down.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

If Drew had a little bit of cat-like quickness, he would have had a better career.
Never the less I still like him.

Amen. I remember thinking why don't the Pats hire a dance instructor in the offseason, or some other expert who could teach him quickness and foot agility. Wasn't to be.

 

[SVN]

Can't say I blame him. Hey never forget without Bledsoe we might not have won the 2001 AFCCG. He stood in well for Tom.

He did well .But in the later part of the game he almost gave it away multiple times. His no look Magic Johnson pass when going down, his INT right at the hands of their defender are two plays i can remember. Everyone seems to forget it.
I never followed the pats when bledsoe was the QB. Heck i didnt know about this game back then.But when I read in holley's book that he went to BB before the SB asking him to start himself over brady I kinda didnt feel that strongly about him.

 

[SVN]

If Drew had a little bit of cat-like quickness, he would have had a better career.
Never the less I still like him.

The thing i felt about him was that he always thought he was entitled to start as the QB. Same in buffalo and same in dallas. Once he lost his job he wasnt too thrilled .Which was expected. But he didnt work on things to get better as brady has done over the years.

 

[1960Pats]

If Drew had a little bit of cat-like quickness, he would have had a better career.
Never the less I still like him.

If he had some pocket awareness it would have helped.
It also would have been nice if he could hit a swing pass with some semblance of accuracy.
And he definitely could have forced the ball into coverage a lot less.
Maybe he took his own advice to Brady in 2001 and was slinging it.

 

[Brit patriot]

I was always team Drew, and loathed what happened to him. When it came to SB week, I was hoping that Brady was down. I am happy to own that, unlike others who I imagine either keep quiet, or downright lie.

I look back now and see this as bitterness. Drew got me into the game when he was drafted, and therefore made me a Patriot. It was like a bit of my soul was ripped out.

A few weeks back I watched the Snow Bowl, every play (great find on Youtube) and it struck me how well Brady played in the second half. The right decision was made.

But Adam V had it right, Bledsoe doesn't get injured, Brady doesn't play. It has become common to treat Drew like Harry the Spastic, when in fact he went to the Pro Bowl the next year. Someone here actually said he was no better than Ryan Mallett. When Ryan makes a pro bowl, I will treat that as a sound reasoning.

I thank him for what he did, and I thank Tom and Bill for what came after.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I was always team Drew, and loathed what happened to him. When it came to SB week, I was hoping that Brady was down. I am happy to own that, unlike others who I imagine either keep quiet, or downright lie.

I look back now and see this as bitterness. Drew got me into the game when he was drafted, and therefore made me a Patriot. It was like a bit of my soul was ripped out.

A few weeks back I watched the Snow Bowl, every play (great find on Youtube) and it struck me how well Brady played in the second half. The right decision was made.

But Adam V had it right, Bledsoe doesn't get injured, Brady doesn't play. It has become common to treat Drew like Harry the Spastic, when in fact he went to the Pro Bowl the next year. Someone here actually said he was no better than Ryan Mallett. When Ryan makes a pro bowl, I will treat that as a sound reasoning.

I thank him for what he did, and I thank Tom and Bill for what came after.

I think Adam is wrong.

Bill is on record as saying the only reason Drew started in 01 was Tom was inexperienced. He outplayed him in preseason.

I am almost certain if they were 1-5 and Drew played like he did during the first 2 games BB would have pulled him. Based on those first 2 games it was going in that direction

Tom starting was an eventuality that Mo Lewis helped accelerate.

 

[sb1]

Bledsoe: “The best day of my year was always the day after the season when we landed in Whitefish and I could feel myself exhale. Like the pressure was lifted off my shoulders – a physical feeling when we would get into Whitefish. I always looked forward to that day every year and it never let me down. The worst day of my year was always that last day of my summer. I would sit on the dock at my house on Whitefish Lake with my legs dangling in the water before I would fly back on the plane to training camp"

I'll always love and appreciate what Drew meant for this franchise. Without Drew and to a lesser extent BP.... what was to come doesn't happen.

But...I don't think Tom feels this way about the sport. It does explain a lot.

 

[Ring 6]

Do you think we win that game without that TD?

I don't think Damon Huard scores that TD and I don't think the whole team STs and D included would have responded the same to Huard.

Love him or hate him Drew was the exact spark they needed when Brady went down. And scoring on that drive (even if misguided) gave the whole team the confidence they needed after seeing the boy wonder go down.

I think we won that game with any competent NFL QB in there certainly including huard.
Why would a competent QB not be able to make those 3 throws? And if they didn't he would have done something the entire rest of the game which Bledsoe really didn't.

It's not a matter of loving him or hating him it's a matter of he played terrible. Giving him credit for raising the confidence of the team is silly.

 

[Bill Lee]

Amen. I remember thinking why don't the Pats hire a dance instructor in the offseason, or some other expert who could teach him quickness and foot agility. Wasn't to be.

I just listened to a long interview with Zolak about what it was like when Drew came to town, and my impression was that Drew wasn't very coachable. Drew grew up as a coach's son and was the big dog all his life. Dad escorted him to the start of training camp. Even at the time we heard that he'd push back hard on Parcells's coaching. Very entitled kind of guy. Nothing like the humility you see from Brady.

I don't think we'd see Drew taking dance lessons in the offseason. Too much quality time to be had on the lake at Whitefish.

 

[Brit patriot]

I think Adam is wrong.

Bill is on record as saying the only reason Drew started in 01 was Tom was inexperienced. He outplayed him in preseason.

I am almost certain if they were 1-5 and Drew played like he did during the first 2 games BB would have pulled him. Based on those first 2 games it was going in that direction

Tom starting was an eventuality that Mo Lewis helped accelerate.

It is an interesting one. In 'War Room', Bruschi is quoted as saying they were sick of Drew holding on to the ball too long. I went with Adam because it is Adam, and I didn't want to contradict a great who was actually there, all the way from my couch. One of many 'what if's' from that season.

Either way, Drew is being painted as useless in some quarters, and not a guy who made the Pro Bowl the year after. We need some balance.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Bledsoe: “The best day of my year was always the day after the season when we landed in Whitefish and I could feel myself exhale. Like the pressure was lifted off my shoulders – a physical feeling when we would get into Whitefish. I always looked forward to that day every year and it never let me down. The worst day of my year was always that last day of my summer. I would sit on the dock at my house on Whitefish Lake with my legs dangling in the water before I would fly back on the plane to training camp"

I'll always love and appreciate what Drew meant for this franchise. Without Drew and to a lesser extent BP.... what was to come doesn't happen.

But...I don't think Tom feels this way about the sport. It does explain a lot.

I respect Drew tremendously as a person.

It's clear football was a job for him. It wasn't a passion.

 

[Mogamedogz]

I was always team Drew, and loathed what happened to him. When it came to SB week, I was hoping that Brady was down. I am happy to own that, unlike others who I imagine either keep quiet, or downright lie.

Not me. Im man enough to admit when Im wrong. I ws 10000% team Drew. I had zero faith in a Gawky 6th round draft pick who still looked like a back-up just managing the game at the time. I thought tht sticking with TB12 was the worst decision id ever seen.

But, ****tt.. im happy to admit that I was as wrong as wrong could be. Lots of people love to claim they seen what BB seen, but at the time, I sure dont remember any that I knew.

 

[Bill Lee]

It is an interesting one. In 'War Room', Bruschi is quoted as saying they were sick of Drew holding on to the ball too long. I went with Adam because it is Adam, and I didn't want to contradict a great who was actually there, all the way from my couch. One of many 'what if's' from that season.

Either way, Drew is being painted as useless in some quarters, and not a guy who made the Pro Bowl the year after. We need some balance.

Indeed. Like many here, the time I connected with the Pats was when Parcells came to town and had that first pick of the draft in his hands. Drew was a great choice, clearly the correct one, and he played very well for us. Yet, what Teddy said is true, he did hold the ball too long, and often took a beating for doing so. It was pretty ugly to watch.

We were and still are blessed to have had Drew play for the Pats, says I.

 

[Bill Lee]

Lots of people love to claim they seen what BB seen, but at the time, I sure dont remember any that I knew.

I remember one of Drew's nicknames at the time was 'The Statue'. Tom's quick release was instantly clear. What wasn't clear was that it would lead to Super Bowls.

 

[RobertWeathers]

It is an interesting one. In 'War Room', Bruschi is quoted as saying they were sick of Drew holding on to the ball too long. I went with Adam because it is Adam, and I didn't want to contradict a great who was actually there, all the way from my couch. One of many 'what if's' from that season.

Either way, Drew is being painted as useless in some quarters, and not a guy who made the Pro Bowl the year after. We need some balance.

Yea I'm not seeing the evidence justifying the useless label.

Drew had a good NFL career and I'm glad he was QB for this franchise.

However it's evident to me TB12 was going to get a shot regardless due to Drew getting hurt or not.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

TB definitely would have gotten his shot. The Pats went 5-11 BB's 1st year. Everyone sentient who attended 2001 summer camp knew that Brady greatly outplayed Drew. The offense lit up when he took his reps. Then after going 5-11 Drew opens the season with a big loss to Cincinnati who were seen as one of the WORST teams that year. Game 2 after the 9/11 hiatus, we play the Jets. I was there. Close game. Pats driving for a score and Drew as he often did, throws the ball nowhere near his receivers but right into the chest of a Jets LB for a pick (same type of stupid throw he made in the AFCCG, but thankfully that one was dropped). With a 5-11 season, starting 0-2 in 2001, it would not take many more inevitable losses before BB decided to save his 2nd chance at a HC career and went with his acumen and benched The Statue for the kid who was coachable.

 

[Ring 6]

TB definitely would have gotten his shot. The Pats went 5-11 BB's 1st year. Everyone sentient who attended 2001 summer camp knew that Brady greatly outplayed Drew. The offense lit up when he took his reps. Then after going 5-11 Drew opens the season with a big loss to Cincinnati who were seen as one of the WORST teams that year. Game 2 after the 9/11 hiatus, we play the Jets. I was there. Close game. Pats driving for a score and Drew as he often did, throws the ball nowhere near his receivers but right into the chest of a Jets LB for a pick (same type of stupid throw he made in the AFCCG, but thankfully that one was dropped). With a 5-11 season, starting 0-2 in 2001, it would not take many more inevitable losses before BB decided to save his 2nd chance at a HC career and went with his acumen and benched The Statue for the kid who was coachable.

Before Brady started a game belichick said at a PC " I'm telling you we won't be standing up here taking about how we lost because of the QB"
The change was coming soon, mo Lewis or not.

 

[bormio]

2001 would have been Bledsoe's last year in NE, no matter what happened (short of a very deep playoff run by Drew).