BobDigital
Pro Bowl Player
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We are enjoying the twilight of Tom Brady but I think it be nice to have a thread to remember some of the great moments Drew Bledsoe gave us. Here are imo the top 10 Drew Bledsoe games. This will be a bit long but Bledsoe deserves it!
#10 - Cleveland - 1995 season - week 1 - A gutsy 17-14 comeback win vs this Browns team whose head coach had the last name Belichick. Bledsoe went 30/47 for 302 yards (back then that was pretty damn good for those who don't know). Down 8 going into the 4th he got his team in easy FG range to give them 3 points. With 4:30 left and 85 yards to go he marched his team down the field for a must have TD to take the lead with only 19 seconds yet. This drive included a 4th and 1 in which Bledsoe got a hard yard. While this D didn't rank great this year last year in 1994 they were the NFL's #1 D in PPG and they looked like it the first month.
#9 - Pitt - 2001 season - AFCCG - It is hard to know where to rank this game. I would say it deserves to be in his top 10 for sure. When Brady went out Bledsoe came in without being in game action for 5 months. He marched the Pats down the field on 3 straight passes for a TD to pad the lead the Pats had. He did this vs arguably the league's best D. Pitt started to make a late surge in the game in the 3rd to make a 21-3 score a 21-17 score. Bledsoe needing some points got AV in FG range for a 44 yard shot which he made. The Patriots would go on to win the super bowl. Without Drew and those key 10 points without making any mistakes; that doesn't happen.
#8 - 1995 season – week 12 – These bills were a powerhouse in the AFC at the time. A HOF QB at the helm with much of the team which went to 4 straight superbowls still intact. The game had a nice back and forth early on but then late in the 3rd the Bills took a 13-25 lead. The were the overwhelming favorite going in so much assumed that was game. The next drive Bledsoe marches down the field but on 3rd and 16 a deep pass got picked off. It does pin them back to the 8 so really it might have been better than a punt. The D holds and now with the field position gained from the last drive he marches them in for a TD to Coates to make it 20-25. The teams trade punts a few times then Bledsoe puts together an 80 yard drive and TD pass to Coates to go to 26-25. They get the much needed 2 pt conversion as well to make it 28-25. With little time left the D makes a big play and gets a defensive score to make it 35-25. That score makes this game not sound as exciting as it was. In reality the Pats knocked off a big time favorite with a 12 point comeback win late in the game.
#7 - 1993 season – week 17 – At this point the season was over for the Patriots but they where not starting to see what they had in their young QB. He had a few wins under his belt but it was some unevenness to it. The week before he passed only 11 times but got a 158.3 passer rating in a 38-0 win with 2 Tds. The week before was unimpressive going 19/47 but got the win. This was to me his first true test of if he could put a team on his back and play well 4 quarters straight. In a tight back and forth contest with the Shula led Dolphins he had 4 Tds 1 Int and 329 yards. Down 4 pretty late in the 4th he got a much need TD. Miami would get a FG and take it to overtime. Bledsoe capped it on a 36 yard TD pass. This was a game that his team leaned on him to win. The running game wasn't working. The D couldn't hold them after the Pats got a lead. Truly a great coming out party for the rookie QB.
#6 - 1998 – week 13 – This game will be one often talked about with people who actually saw it. The dolphins came into the Patriots house with a 7-3 record. They had the best defense that year in PPG. The Pats had no business being in this game. Particularly after Bledsoe broke a finger on his throwing hand. The Pats were down two times late in the game. The last was when they were down 4 with over 3 minutes left and 80 yards to go. Against that D Bledsoe march them down the field and tossed a 25 TD pass to Jefferson with 30 seconds left to take the lead. We talk about Brady being tough but Bledsoe was no slouch in that department. Though this injury would knock him out later in the season it was a gutsy win and great late game drive vs a tough D.
#5 - NYG – 1996 season – week 17 – Here is all you need to know about this game. The Giants were only a so-so team but had a solid D. They jumped up to a 0-22 lead over the course of the first half. They managed a safety and a pick 6. They made Bledsoe's day miserable and it seemed like it was over as it got late into the 3rd. Then an epic comeback happen. Bledsoe put the bad first 40 minutes behind him. He got in FG range to make it 3-22 late in the 3rd. A TD pass to Glenn early in the 4th to make it 10-22 and the Pats were showing life. A 3 and out and punt return TD by Dave Meggett got the Pats back in business at 17-22. After some back and forth punting on their last offensive drive Bledsoe goes 75 yards. At 4th and 7 with the game on the line he tosses a 13 yard TD to make it 23-22. The D would hold on to win.
#4 - Jets – 1996 – week 11 – This was a 21 point comeback win. Down 21 in the 2nd quarter Drew did all he could to claw his team back into it. Over time he managed to get closer and closer leading clutch drives. He tied in the 4th only to have his D let up a FG. Then he brought them ahead with a TD. His D would need to hold the Jets out of the end zone on what was pretty much the final drive of the game (minus kneel downs). They held after the Jets got in the redzone. This was a great game by Drew and a very dramatic complete team win.
#3 - 1999 – week 2 – Yet another 21 point comeback win... yawn! This is one of his best and cleanest wins. 4 Tds and no Ints. The Pats fell behind 0-21 in the first half. They scored 7 but Indy answered back as the first half came to a close to be down 7-28 going into the second half. The Patriots defense deserves credit for holding on the rest of the game and playing lights out but 2 4th quarter TD drives and leading Adam V into FG range late in the game was amazing. These Colts went 13-3 and were one of the best teams in the NFL that year.
#2 Minn – 1994 season – week 11 – 70 passes is all you need to know. Perhaps the defining Bledsoe game - The Patriot got down and had no choice but to lean on Bledsoe. I think talking too much about this game would be a bit of a disservice. The Pats trailed a superior Vikings team lead by HOFer Warren Moon. It was 0-20 at one point. They scraped their way back throughout the game getting a 4th quarter TD and FG to tie and go into OT. Bledsoe iced the game on a TD pass in overtime like a boss!
#1 Buff – 1998 season – week 13 – broken finger – For me this will always be the game of his career. The week after he broke a finger on his throwing hand he plays the Bills in a must have it game to stay alive. This is a game he played with a messed up throwing hand all day. The Pats managed to get up early (As much as 14 points) but the Bills stuck around and closed the gap in the 2nd half. Eventually they would take the lead and go up 4 points in the 4th. The Patriots after being turned away once get the ball back with 2 minutes left needing a TD to win. Bledsoe marches the team down the field. Passed to Glenn with almost no time left for 25 yards. Forces a DPI pretty much. On the last play of the game with no time on the clock he hits Coates for a one yard TD. He finished 3 Tds 1 Int... Not bad for a guy with a BROKEN FINGER on his throwing hand. The best Bledsoe game and a great signature win for a very good career.
#10 - Cleveland - 1995 season - week 1 - A gutsy 17-14 comeback win vs this Browns team whose head coach had the last name Belichick. Bledsoe went 30/47 for 302 yards (back then that was pretty damn good for those who don't know). Down 8 going into the 4th he got his team in easy FG range to give them 3 points. With 4:30 left and 85 yards to go he marched his team down the field for a must have TD to take the lead with only 19 seconds yet. This drive included a 4th and 1 in which Bledsoe got a hard yard. While this D didn't rank great this year last year in 1994 they were the NFL's #1 D in PPG and they looked like it the first month.
#9 - Pitt - 2001 season - AFCCG - It is hard to know where to rank this game. I would say it deserves to be in his top 10 for sure. When Brady went out Bledsoe came in without being in game action for 5 months. He marched the Pats down the field on 3 straight passes for a TD to pad the lead the Pats had. He did this vs arguably the league's best D. Pitt started to make a late surge in the game in the 3rd to make a 21-3 score a 21-17 score. Bledsoe needing some points got AV in FG range for a 44 yard shot which he made. The Patriots would go on to win the super bowl. Without Drew and those key 10 points without making any mistakes; that doesn't happen.
#8 - 1995 season – week 12 – These bills were a powerhouse in the AFC at the time. A HOF QB at the helm with much of the team which went to 4 straight superbowls still intact. The game had a nice back and forth early on but then late in the 3rd the Bills took a 13-25 lead. The were the overwhelming favorite going in so much assumed that was game. The next drive Bledsoe marches down the field but on 3rd and 16 a deep pass got picked off. It does pin them back to the 8 so really it might have been better than a punt. The D holds and now with the field position gained from the last drive he marches them in for a TD to Coates to make it 20-25. The teams trade punts a few times then Bledsoe puts together an 80 yard drive and TD pass to Coates to go to 26-25. They get the much needed 2 pt conversion as well to make it 28-25. With little time left the D makes a big play and gets a defensive score to make it 35-25. That score makes this game not sound as exciting as it was. In reality the Pats knocked off a big time favorite with a 12 point comeback win late in the game.
#7 - 1993 season – week 17 – At this point the season was over for the Patriots but they where not starting to see what they had in their young QB. He had a few wins under his belt but it was some unevenness to it. The week before he passed only 11 times but got a 158.3 passer rating in a 38-0 win with 2 Tds. The week before was unimpressive going 19/47 but got the win. This was to me his first true test of if he could put a team on his back and play well 4 quarters straight. In a tight back and forth contest with the Shula led Dolphins he had 4 Tds 1 Int and 329 yards. Down 4 pretty late in the 4th he got a much need TD. Miami would get a FG and take it to overtime. Bledsoe capped it on a 36 yard TD pass. This was a game that his team leaned on him to win. The running game wasn't working. The D couldn't hold them after the Pats got a lead. Truly a great coming out party for the rookie QB.
#6 - 1998 – week 13 – This game will be one often talked about with people who actually saw it. The dolphins came into the Patriots house with a 7-3 record. They had the best defense that year in PPG. The Pats had no business being in this game. Particularly after Bledsoe broke a finger on his throwing hand. The Pats were down two times late in the game. The last was when they were down 4 with over 3 minutes left and 80 yards to go. Against that D Bledsoe march them down the field and tossed a 25 TD pass to Jefferson with 30 seconds left to take the lead. We talk about Brady being tough but Bledsoe was no slouch in that department. Though this injury would knock him out later in the season it was a gutsy win and great late game drive vs a tough D.
#5 - NYG – 1996 season – week 17 – Here is all you need to know about this game. The Giants were only a so-so team but had a solid D. They jumped up to a 0-22 lead over the course of the first half. They managed a safety and a pick 6. They made Bledsoe's day miserable and it seemed like it was over as it got late into the 3rd. Then an epic comeback happen. Bledsoe put the bad first 40 minutes behind him. He got in FG range to make it 3-22 late in the 3rd. A TD pass to Glenn early in the 4th to make it 10-22 and the Pats were showing life. A 3 and out and punt return TD by Dave Meggett got the Pats back in business at 17-22. After some back and forth punting on their last offensive drive Bledsoe goes 75 yards. At 4th and 7 with the game on the line he tosses a 13 yard TD to make it 23-22. The D would hold on to win.
#4 - Jets – 1996 – week 11 – This was a 21 point comeback win. Down 21 in the 2nd quarter Drew did all he could to claw his team back into it. Over time he managed to get closer and closer leading clutch drives. He tied in the 4th only to have his D let up a FG. Then he brought them ahead with a TD. His D would need to hold the Jets out of the end zone on what was pretty much the final drive of the game (minus kneel downs). They held after the Jets got in the redzone. This was a great game by Drew and a very dramatic complete team win.
#3 - 1999 – week 2 – Yet another 21 point comeback win... yawn! This is one of his best and cleanest wins. 4 Tds and no Ints. The Pats fell behind 0-21 in the first half. They scored 7 but Indy answered back as the first half came to a close to be down 7-28 going into the second half. The Patriots defense deserves credit for holding on the rest of the game and playing lights out but 2 4th quarter TD drives and leading Adam V into FG range late in the game was amazing. These Colts went 13-3 and were one of the best teams in the NFL that year.
#2 Minn – 1994 season – week 11 – 70 passes is all you need to know. Perhaps the defining Bledsoe game - The Patriot got down and had no choice but to lean on Bledsoe. I think talking too much about this game would be a bit of a disservice. The Pats trailed a superior Vikings team lead by HOFer Warren Moon. It was 0-20 at one point. They scraped their way back throughout the game getting a 4th quarter TD and FG to tie and go into OT. Bledsoe iced the game on a TD pass in overtime like a boss!
#1 Buff – 1998 season – week 13 – broken finger – For me this will always be the game of his career. The week after he broke a finger on his throwing hand he plays the Bills in a must have it game to stay alive. This is a game he played with a messed up throwing hand all day. The Pats managed to get up early (As much as 14 points) but the Bills stuck around and closed the gap in the 2nd half. Eventually they would take the lead and go up 4 points in the 4th. The Patriots after being turned away once get the ball back with 2 minutes left needing a TD to win. Bledsoe marches the team down the field. Passed to Glenn with almost no time left for 25 yards. Forces a DPI pretty much. On the last play of the game with no time on the clock he hits Coates for a one yard TD. He finished 3 Tds 1 Int... Not bad for a guy with a BROKEN FINGER on his throwing hand. The best Bledsoe game and a great signature win for a very good career.
