‘But his production began to slip. Then so did his playing time. Pretty soon his mail was being forwarded to a new NFL address. And guess what? Somewhere along the way he rediscovered his game, beat his old team and lived happily ever after. For at least one season anyway. The Drew Bledsoe Story, 2002? Maybe. But also the Antowain Smith Saga, 2001.’
Archives for October 31, 2002
Bledsoe on their minds
”’I really believe, and this is my own personal opinion, that a lot of people were waiting for a bargain sale maybe later on, all the way up to training camp,” Bills coach Gregg Williams said. ”We had a contingency plan that we were not going to let things die, and I think Tom Donahoe (Buffalo’s president and general manager) did a great job of (sticking with it).”‘
Not just another game for Bledsoe
‘"I think the biggest thing he’s going to have to contend with is his emotions," said Bills offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "Just keeping them in check."’
Bledsoe paying Bills
‘Yes, Bledsoe had to go. Whether he had to go to the Bills, an AFC East rival that the Patriots must face twice a year, is another matter entirely. But at the time of the trade, Belichick was a genius, and it was assumed that he believed Bledsoe washed-up and easy to defend.’
Patriots meet their old quarterback
‘Consider this the opposite of the theory about teams with winning streaks. A team that isn’t bad enough to lose five straight won’t. PATRIOTS, 27-26.
Overlooked Bills defense worthy of concern
‘”They’re a little unique,” Belichick said of Buffalo’s makeshift 46 defense reminiscent of Buddy Ryan’s old Chicago Bears scheme. “They kind of use two systems in one and they complement each other well. Up front they play an over defense with all three defensive linemen on the tight end side of the formation, plus a linebacker outside of the tight end on the line of scrimmage."’
Bills vs. Patriots Game Officially Sold Out
The Bills-Patriots game this Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium is sold out and will be televised locally.
Including this Sunday’s contest with New England, all five home games so far in 2002 have been soldout in time to meet the blackout deadline.
Moorman Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month
Bills punter Brian Moorman has been selected as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October.
Future is now for Bills
‘”Playing against the Bills teams over the years, I knew coming in here this team was close,” Bledsoe said. “There were just a few pieces (needed) here or there. . . . There was some talent here, and I also came in with the confidence we could turn it around very quickly.”‘
Master craftsmen
‘"The biggest thing that he does with his defenses is he changes up week to week," Bledsoe said. "One week you see one thing, the next week you see something totally different. And he’ll do two completely different things against the same team in the same year. So one game he’ll approach it one way and the other game he’ll approach it another way."’
Bledsoe vs. Mr. Bill
‘How Drew Bledsoe fared against defenses (or teams) coached by Bill Belichick…’.
Brady’s blues have familiar refrain
‘If there’s one thing Bledsoe understands after a decade in the NFL, it’s how quickly fortunes turn in this game.’
To play or not to play . . . that is the question
‘The status of right tackle Mike Williams and cornerback Antoine Winfield for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots remained uncertain as the Bills returned to practice Wednesday.’
Drew Bledsoe Quotebook: Patriots Preview (Part II)
"Tom did a great job across the board in what he did. He's a great guy; he's a very hard worker. I think that is his strongpoint. He works his butt off whether it's the off-season, during the week, or whenever it is. He continuously has gone onward and upward. I would expect him to continue to do that."
Drew Bledsoe Quotebook: Patriots Preview (Part I)
"Time heals a lot of things. I think that everyone knows that last year was a difficult year for me from the standpoint of going through the injury and going through the situation where I wasn't able to get back on the field. That was a hard year but I am honest about this, I really don't spend much time thinking about it."