Bledsoe has some good TE's in Dallas

[Buftex]

Witten will be fine if he is Drew's primary receiver who he locks onto every play ) like Ben Coates.

 

If not, he will be totally inieffective.

 

Drew is incapable of "dropping" or "dumping" the ball to anyone.

 

He can't make the decision on when to dump it, and his touch on short passes is horrible.

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You may be right, but that was not always the case with Bledsoe. I remember wathcing an old Bills/Patriots game last summer (Kelly vs Bledsoe), from around six or seven of the season, 1996 I think. The Pats won, Bledsoe was terrific, and I remember his first TD of the game, they said something like, "Bledsoe has now thrown 13 td's on the season, to 10 different players" or something to that effect. They then showed some stat, showing that Bledsoe's MO was that he spread the ball around a lot, more than any other QB in the leauge.

 

IMO, the 2003 game in (ironically) Dallas, was the game where Bledsoe just lost any confidence in the Bills offensive line. He took a beating in that game (and it really was not all his fault), and just seemed to lose what little "swagger" he might have ever had. I was at that game. I remember vividly, our WR's (including Eric Moulds) gave a pitiful half hearted effort the whole game, cutting off routes, not making much of an effort to make catches. If memory serves, they got the crap beaten out of them the following week, against the Texans, in a very similar fashion.

 

I may still be in the minority on this, but I think Bledsoe is going to do pretty well in Dallas. He is not going into a bad offensive setup to fit his skills, and I think it is a myth that his skills have eroded as much as some make it sound. His game definitely has its' limitations, he may be immobile, but Parcell knows that. I don't think the Cowboys make the playoffs, but I also don't think Bledsoe will be their biggest problem either. They should at least have a fairly productive offensive squad.

[gantrules]

Yep, Drew's best season here was a product of having the short option in Larry Centers. I think he gets too much flack for "locking on to his recievers" He didn't have much in options in 03 or the beginning of 04.

 

Would he have been successful in Buffalo? Probably not but I think he went to the perfect location for him to be successful.

[stuckincincy]

irreparable brain damage

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Given the results, that opinion is as good as any!

[PromoTheRobot]

Jason Whitten

Dan Cambell

 

These guys should have a great year with Bledsoe dumping it off to them.

 

Bombs away in Dallas............

 

WR's

 

Terry Glenn

MeShaun Johnson

Quincy Morgan

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These guys better grow ten foot arms and a 360-degree swivel hips for all the passes DB will be throwing over and behind to them. Come to think of it, they'll also need to wear catcher's mitts for those 95mph screen passes he throws...into the dirt.

 

PTR

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I wonder if they are going to use a bullhorn or an alarm clock in order to get him to throw the ball away after a few seconds.  Personally, if I was Parcells, I'd give him a size 11 kick in the ass everytime he holds the ball too long.  The other methods have proven to be unsuccessful.

I know, I know....beating a dead horse! He could be the next John Elway or Jim Plunkett for the  Cowboys, blah, blah, blah

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Parcells has shown that he is a smart enough HC to know that he and generall most HCs suceed with players not by leaving a foot imprint on their butt and trying to make them fear your physical wrath, but by getting them to respect and actually love you are make them fear disappointing you.

 

The great thing about Parcells and part and parcel of his success from what I've heard is that he is funny guy who has mastered the tough dance of being able to say the harshest things to and about a player but to have them laugh not at him or the target but with them.

 

MM had to use an alarm clock with Drew (a nice and effective touch from what I saw) but Parcells rather than kicking a player physically (certainly because if one actually tusseled with most athletes they would fold you several times)or mentally will put himself in a position regarding Bledsoe and the team whete he can repetitively yell "just throw the dman ball" when Bledsoe hangs onto to it to long, but do so without undermining Bledsoe's authority among the players (who all seem to speak publicly fondly of him even when he was traded and found a better QB) or undercutting the players respect for him which came from success and love rather than respect from him which came from success and fear.

 

The importance is that when the hard times come (as hey always do in life eventually) if you have gotten respect for you based on fear (like a Tom Coughlin for example) when the tough times come people let you die or even plunge the knife in you deeper. However, if people respect you out of love, they often will back you up during the tough times and you gain the ability to discipline them because they do not want to disappoint you.

[Spikes16]

Jason Whitten

Dan Cambell

 

These guys should have a great year with Bledsoe dumping it off to them.

 

Bombs away in Dallas............

 

WR's

 

Terry Glenn

MeShaun Johnson

Quincy Morgan

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Bledsoe sucks. He is done. I dont care if Andre Reed,Jerry Rice and Chris Carter in their prime are his wide receivers, he will play a couple of decent games then the old statue will reappear. He is a good guy but his winning days are way over. I cant wait until Big D fans start calling for his head.

[Buftex]

The great thing about Parcells and part and parcel of his success from what I've heard is that he is funny guy who has mastered the tough dance of being able to say the harshest things to and about a player but to have them laugh not at him or the target but with them.

 

 

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Sounds like what they have been saying about Hank Stram the last few days...

[AJ1]

Bledsoe sucks. He is done. I dont care if Andre Reed,Jerry Rice and Chris Carter in their prime are his wide receivers, he will play a couple of decent games then the old statue will reappear. He is a good guy but his winning days are way over. I cant wait until Big D fans start calling for his head.

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In his last 6 or seven games, I don't remember Bledsoe hitting Moulds with a pass longer than 20 yards. Maybe it was the dumbed down offense, but I remember DB's first training camp where he was super accurate. Exiting the Bills, he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Other than watching the Bills win, watching Bledsoe suck it up bigtime in Big D will be my greatest pleasure following the NFL this fall.

[Lori]

28 posts in this thread, and hardly any mention of the Dallas offensive line. Interesting. Will FA pickup RG Marco Rivera be ready following back surgery? Which of the UDFA currently listed on the depth chart at RT will win the job? (Or will Parcells shift Flozell Adams to the right side, and take his chances with someone else - recent draft picks Jacob Rogers or Rob Petitti, perhaps - at LT?) And what effect will the move of Tony Sparano from TEs coach to OL coach have?

 

I like Witten a lot, and wish the Bills had someone like him... but until I see some answers to those OL questions, I don't care how good he is.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

In his last 6 or seven games, I don't remember Bledsoe hitting Moulds with a pass longer than 20 yards.  Maybe it was the dumbed down offense, but I remember DB's first training camp where he was super accurate.  Exiting the Bills, he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.  Other than watching the Bills win, watching Bledsoe suck it up bigtime in Big D will be my greatest pleasure following the NFL this fall.

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I remember Moulds scoring one long TD late last year but I can't remember whether the long yardage was mostly RAC or through the air. However, I do remember Bledsoe hitting Evans long a few times late in the season so I son't think the facts describe a QB who lost the long touch.

 

As a matter of fact some of the folks who react against Bledsoe in some reactionary addiction to believing his play was critical for the Bills (some focused unwarranted emphasis on him because they falsely thought he was great and others cause they falsely thought he sucked completely) worried on the several flea flickers which featured a flip back to Bledsoe after a hand-off worried that he would miss the wide open Evans who sprung free when the corners bit on the run (he never did and hit Evans deep each time) actually reacted as though Bledsoe was doing an easy thing to hit a wide open Evans when actually Bledsoe did a great job hitting him.

 

This play is difficult because:

 

A. Throwing the long ball even when you are not under sack pressure is not an easy thing to do particularly in the Ralph winds and kudos to Bledsoe for the result being a long gain and usually a TD for Evans.

 

B. Not only did he have to hit Evans but also hit in full stride because he was on the run and even if the CB bit, he usually realized his error as the ball was flipped or because the play did not feel like a run.

 

C. Most difficult is that Bledsoe has to field a lateral from the young WM (sometimes they were good but there also were a few adventures in his flips) AND keep track of Evans going downfield so he could handle the lateral and make the throw.

 

I was quite impressed withe the TC/MM calls of this play and quite impressed with how Bledsoe handled these flea-flickers (and the faked QB sneak which saw him lateral to WM who scampered 40+ yards for the TD.

 

I think part of the reason Bledsoe was so shocked at his cut was that actually 2004 saw a huge improvement in his play over his horrendous season in 2003. Nevertheless, I think TD and the braintrust were correct to cut Bledsoe and go with JP, not because Bledsoe sucked and has nothing left, but because they should have cut him after the 2003 season because even with the talents Bledsoe has left (they are considerable but limited) it is quite unlikely he will deliver enough for the Bills to win it all. I would rather have the QB play a non-lead role in us winning because he is a youngster and no rationally expects a youngster to take control because he does not have the skills of a vet (yet) than have a QB play a non-lead role because he is not a skilled enough player to do so (Bledsoe).

 

I think that folks are likely making a mistake to assume Bledsoe will go down in flames with the 'Boys:

 

1. Those who suspect that he will do well for a few games are probably right because we have all seen how effective Bledsoe can be until opponents get some tape on his O.

 

2. In addition, it would not surprise me to see Bledsoe do well enough longer than a few games because I think Parcells is a better HC than Mularkey. I suspect the Parcells force of will which squeezed an SB berth out of Bledsoe with the Pats will still be there and TC had to take away Bledsoe's ability to audible to get him to simplify the offense and not be so pass-happy I think Parcells will simply be able to tell Bledsoe to stop and not audible unless he is really sure and this will give Dallas a more flexible playbook than the one the Bills had to jam down Bledsooe's throat to get him not take dumb risks.

 

3. I think the cut by the Bills may end up being a good thing for Bledsoe because it sent him a clear message that he needs to rein it in because he cannot do the things he tries to do (he never could really) and he needs to rely on his teammates to carry the team because he does not have the skills to do it all.

 

I think the Parcells and Bledsoe will be helped alot by TC and MM doing some very good things using Bledsoe that Kevin Killdrive refused to do in 2003 as he pigheadedly stuck with what worked in 2002.

 

1. Bledsoe has to run the QB draw a few times even if he will never be enough of a runner to break the draw for a big gain. If the LBs and safeties are not hesitating for a minute to make sure that Bledsoe is not coming up the middle for positive yardage they will abandon their spots and commit totally to the outside or a gap blitz. TC and MM demonstrated this last year.

 

2. Bledsoe does have good ball-handling skills (he really helped Teagie a lot in 2002 as some of his shotgun snaps were real adventures that Bledsoe showed good hands in snaring) and he is a vet and an OC should feel comfortable going with the pitch-back flea-flicker as he hit Evans several times with and faked the sneak and lateraled to WM. Even though the Boys OL will be spotty this simply empasizes the importance of using the sneak and the flicker with Bledsoe.

 

3. Bledsoe's problem with the Bills struck me as he often tried to do things he could not do and his teammates looked to him to win if they screwed up. If because the cut makes him recognize his limitations (and Parcells keeps reminding him) then you may see a more efficient Bledsoe with Dallas than he was wih the Bills because he makes fewer mistakes as he stops trying to do things he does not have the talent to do,

 

Ita going to be interesting to watch how the Boys do using Bledsoe and his arm,

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

the stats for Moulds and Evans in the last 4 games of the 2004 season

 

 

Last 4 Games 4 20 203 50.8 10.2 24 0 - Moulds

 

Last 4 Games 4 19 289 72.3 15.2 60 4 - Evans

 

 

 

The Ball was pretty evenly spread between these two the difference obviousily being in avg and td's.

 

 

Bledsoe is effective at spreading the ball around contrary to popular belief, The problem is simply a lack of effective safety valves. While Damion Shelton had his catches, he's never going to be mistaken for larry centers. A Good te and 3rd down back who can catch passes will be an asset to Losman in the future

 

 

With that said Bledsoe is surrounded in dallas, by one of the up and coming premiere te's in the game a young rb who looks like he's gonna be decent, and an ok wr crew, and good but aging oline. Parcells will get the most out of him, but no one not even the most delusional cowboy fans and their are a lot of them expect Bledsoe to outright win games for them.

[LabattBlue]

However, if people respect you out of love, they often will back you up during the tough times and you gain the ability to discipline them because they do not want to disappoint you.

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