Drew Bledsoe Storytime

[BennyBledsoe]

Okay, so, this is just sorta where I'm relating what made me a fan of the big guy. I know he's got somewhat mixed reviews by some other fans around here, but for me, obviously I'm a fan, even if I'm fully aware of his shortcomings.

I was born in 1980, which I think really kinda goes to why I'm a huge Bledsoe guy. I was way too young for the great 80s teams (although I have enjoyed downloading and rewatching games from that era) and by the time I was starting to become aware and understand football enough to care, this was the late 80s/early 90s....you know, the good years

Anyway, you may have read my signature, but yeah, I had never heard of the term Patsy before. Not enough to know it was meant as an insult, at least. I just thought calling the team Patsies was just born of affection, not derision.

Okay, so, that sorta sets the stage. My earliest real memories were of the team being pretty crap, probably gonna move, and tons of horrible quarterback play.

Then 1993 happens.

Team ends up staying in town. They got a whole new look. They got a Super Bowl winning coach. And most important of all (to a 13 year old fan, anyway) they had drafted this big, capable QB named Drew Bledsoe. And that first season was... not good, overall. But as the season went on, this Bledsoe guy was starting to look REALLY good. And then what really did me in for being a fan of his... that final game against Miami. Nothing to play for on the Patriots' side but Bledsoe led the team back and ended the game with a beautiful pass. I remember just getting so into that game, I was standing next to the huge console TV we had at the time, just staring at what was happening in awe.

That was it, I was now officially a huge Patriots fan and a huge Bledsoe fan.

That's my Bledsoe confession, I guess Anyway, just thought I'd share.

 

[signbabybrady]

I'm a couple years younger but I was born with season Tix and my father, grandfather, and older brother were already obsessed so I followed suit and I'm pretty much on the same time line as you. My earliest football memories are of Grogan and Tippett, then some really crappy years, but I was still a little young for all that but Drew and Parcells were during those real nostalgic childhood years.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Drew is the reason i am a patriots fan so he’ll always be my favorite. I couldn’t be happier that he’s still involved with organization events and gatherings despite how things ended. Being a part of the roast especially since that was an inner circle kinda thing.

 

[Wozzy]

Good story... but unfortunately there weren't a lot of great 80's teams.

There was one good 80's team that met a steamroller of a Bear's team in the Super Bowl as a wildcard entrant and got shellacked. They were okay the next year but were one and done in the playoffs. They had two similar one and done years in the late 70's.

The majority of the time the Patriots pre-Parcell's were league doormats, about as bad as you could get. The generation who grew up solely watching the dynasty have no clue how good they had it.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

I remember what a revelation Drew was when he joined the team. He and Coates were a great pair. When Parcel's left Carroll's offense relied on Drew too much and he developed bad habits trying to win every game via his arm. When BB joined he was too entrenched to change his ways to be more careful with the ball. At the end of the day he had a good NFL career and always seemed like someone with his priorities straight. I love the story from his rookie year when he and his brother repeatedly called the bank to hear his balance so that they could laugh about how ridiculous the money was.

 

[Bella*chick]

I wish I knew where the old photos of me meeting Drew and having him sign the portrait I drew of him are. It was in 1993, maybe?, when training camp was held in Rhode Island. Such fun times. Remember my dad geeking out so hard about it on the phone to his mom, my grandma, and she could not have cared less. LOL. Solid memory.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I remember what a revelation Drew was when he joined the team. He and Coates were a great pair. When Parcel's left Carroll's offense relied on Drew too much and he developed bad habits trying to win every game via his arm. When BB joined he was too entrenched to change his ways to be more careful with the ball. At the end of the day he had a good NFL career and always seemed like someone with his priorities straight. I love the story from his rookie year when he and his brother repeatedly called the bank to hear his balance so that they could laugh about how ridiculous the money was.

Defenses were built to stop the run then and Drew had no choice given both Martin and Edwards didn't fare well against the NFL's better teams. Their poor run blocking of the OL didn't help matters. Then the Robert Edwards injury in 1999 put them in a horrible position and their running game was the worst that I've seen since watching the Pats. It was pointless when they tried to run that year.

If it wasn't for the arm of Bledsoe, they don't make the playoffs in 1998 and would've been a well below sub .500 team in 1999. On the flip side, had Adam Vinatieri not had such a horrible year, they would've been 10-6.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Defenses were built to stop the run then and Drew had no choice given both Martin and Edwards didn't fare well against the NFL's better teams. Their poor run blocking of the OL didn't help matters. Then the Robert Edwards injury in 1999 put them in a horrible position and their running game was the worst that I've seen since watching the Pats. It was pointless when they tried to run that year.

If it wasn't for the arm of Bledsoe, they don't make the playoffs in 1998 and would've been a well below sub .500 team in 1999. On the flip side, had Adam Vinatieri not had such a horrible year, they would've been 10-6.

My statements were not intended to minimize his talent or contributions to the team. He is one of my all time favorites and was a big part in turning around a team that was at rock bottom. 1998 was peak Bledsoe with him gutting out a couple of wins with a broken finger. That said I stand by my belief that he was not able to course correct after that time which led to his exit from the Pats.

 

[203Pat]

Drew and Curtis Martin were the players who got me into the Patriots. I was born in 87 so that Packers Super Bowl season I was all in. My best friend's grandfather had season tickets and needed up becoming a snowbird so he wouldn't go to a lot of the late season games and I would get to go to games at Foxboro Stadium as a kid. I remember putting on my Bledsoe/Martin/Coates jersey and my Starter jacket and sitting on the bleachers for 3 hours freezing lol.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Defenses were built to stop the run then and Drew had no choice given both Martin and Edwards didn't fare well against the NFL's better teams. Their poor run blocking of the OL didn't help matters. Then the Robert Edwards injury in 1999 put them in a horrible position and their running game was the worst that I've seen since watching the Pats. It was pointless when they tried to run that year.

If it wasn't for the arm of Bledsoe, they don't make the playoffs in 1998 and would've been a well below sub .500 team in 1999. On the flip side, had Adam Vinatieri not had such a horrible year, they would've been 10-6.

1999 was disappointing but in the long run a great year for us. We really should’ve been 8-0 at the bye but Adam missed a gimme at the end of the kc game and then we blew a double digit lead to Miami’s backup qb. Who knows if that 2nd half collapse happens. But if the team would’ve won 10 or more like they should have no way we would have moved on from Carroll that soon and BB is coaching the nyj in 2000.

 

[sb1]

Sign the beast?

 

[BennyBledsoe]

There was a relatively recent show (I think it was Dan Patrick)... maybe five years ago now (my time sense sucks), and Bledsoe and one of his kids were on it. Bledsoe got challenged to bust through the wall with a pass. And yeah, arm strength is definitely still there. He was leaving little cross imprints from the point of the ball. Didn't manage to do it, but you could see he was getting competitive....

Let me see if I can find it.



2015. Oops.

And Christ, the sound of that ball whistling through the air.

 

[TheRainMaker]

My statements were not intended to minimize his talent or contributions to the team. He is one of my all time favorites and was a big part in turning around a team that was at rock bottom. 1998 was peak Bledsoe with him gutting out a couple of wins with a broken finger. That said I stand by my belief that he was not able to course correct after that time which led to his exit from the Pats.

I was a was a die hard Bledsoe guy didn't not want to believe his skills were deteriorating during the 2nd half of the 1999 season. Although the team didn't have much talent around him in 2000, something was off. He had one bounce back year in Buffalo in 2002, but he was done after that.

Drew and Curtis Martin were the players who got me into the Patriots. I was born in 87 so that Packers Super Bowl season I was all in. My best friend's grandfather had season tickets and needed up becoming a snowbird so he wouldn't go to a lot of the late season games and I would get to go to games at Foxboro Stadium as a kid. I remember putting on my Bledsoe/Martin/Coates jersey and my Starter jacket and sitting on the bleachers for 3 hours freezing lol.

Martin was my favorite back and it was painful watching him in New York.

1999 was disappointing but in the long run a great year for us. We really should’ve been 8-0 at the bye but Adam missed a gimme at the end of the kc game and then we blew a double digit lead to Miami’s backup qb. Who knows if that 2nd half collapse happens. But if the team would’ve won 10 or more like they should have no way we would have moved on from Carroll that soon and BB is coaching the nyj in 2000.

When the Pats were 6-2, people ignored the warning signs (including myself) that the team just wasn't very good that year. With that said, had Adam made his kicks and the Miami collapse didn't happen, they're 11-5. They would've played at Tennessee for the Wildcard and Carroll keeps his job.

Bill is probably coaching the Jets as you said and Tom Brady may have ended up there if Bill added **** Rehbein to his staff.

 

[203Pat]

Martin was my favorite back and it was painful watching him in New York.

10 year old me was devastated when he left. Stuffed my jersey in the back of the drawer. My young heart was then broken again when Robert Edwards tore his knee up a couple years later.

 

[sb1]

Sad in a way that Drew’s career didn’t end better than it did. He deserved better.

Obviously losing your starting job to the GOAT is nothing to be ashamed about but then losing his job to freaking JP Losman and then Romo? Oof.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I remember the 1st time I saw Bledsoe ... was a pre season game.
He rifled the ball up the middle @20 yards ... tight window and I was stunned ... holy **** a cannon of an arm.

 

[scott99]

I still have a ton of Drew Bledsoe rookie cards. I was a BIG fan, and 1993 was back in the day collecting rookie cards was kinda big. I stupidly thought they’d go way up in value, not accounting for Drew not being an all time great, and the card collecting industry would pretty much crash.

 

[signbabybrady]

I still have a ton of Drew Bledsoe rookie cards. I was a BIG fan, and 1993 was back in the day collecting rookie cards was kinda big. I stupidly thought they’d go way up in value, not accounting for Drew not being an all time great, and the card collecting industry would pretty much crash.

I had a binder that was easily half Drew cards.

 

[203Pat]

Sad in a way that Drew’s career didn’t end better than it did. He deserved better.

Obviously losing your starting job to the GOAT is nothing to be ashamed about but then losing his job to freaking JP Losman and then Romo? Oof.

Romo was a solid QB at least. Losman would have made more sense if they took him a couple rounds later to let him develop for a while. Instead they chose to move up to get him and the writing was on the wall for Drew.

 

[scott99]

As far as Drew’s career, he’s a border line Hall Of Famer. It’s kinda like Vinny Testaverde, the stats are there, if you look at other Hall Of Fame inductees, Drew’s stats are equal or better than some. Unfortunately, his career will always be intertwined with what happened with Brady.