But this being today’s NFL, in which teams and careers can be revitalized faster than President Bush’s popularity rating, it shouldn’t be surprising that Bledsoe is playing this well, that the Bills are 5-3 and a half-game out of first place in the AFC East and that he could make the Patriots’ season even more gloomy. Payback indeed can be sweet.
BillsBeat - October 30, 2002
Bledsoe driven by 'renewed appreciation'
"We definitely want to get the win for him. We know how important it will be for him. But at the same time, we won’t allow that to cause us to alter our approach in a way that might be detrimental."
BillsBeat - October 29, 2002
Page 2: Dishing out the dirt about DirecTV
Stat of the Week No. 5: Bills running back Travis Henry has lost six fumbles in eight games, while Wayne Chrebet fumbled for the first time since 1996. Henry is fumbling once every 29 touches; Chrebet went 323 touches between fumbles.
Pats LB Vrabel facing former teammate
‘“You’ve got to get pressure on him in the pocket,” Vrabel said. “I think that every long play I’ve seen on the highlights this year he’s been able to step up and deliver the ball downfield. With Moulds and Price, you can’t give him a lot of time to get back, let those guys run downfield, and then let him step up three or four yards and throw the ball as hard as he can throw it.”’
Even Bills surprised by start
‘”I’m just a little surprised at how fast we’ve jelled. The big thing is this team’s starting to expect to win.”‘
On Any Given Tuesday: Oct. 29, 2002
Among Bills In The Community This Week: Linebacker London Fletcher will be visiting kindergarten students at the Broadway Village Elementary Community School (PS 57), located at 231 Sears Street in Buffalo. Fletcher will sign autographs and answer questions.
Hey, Why NOT Us?
‘The Patriots are desperate for a win over anybody, no matter who the quarterback happens to be, and the Bills are suddenly starting to think “hey, why NOT us?”.’
Drew finally gets shot at former com-Patriots
‘Belichick privately has told friends over the years that while he admired Bledsoe’s toughness he did not consider Bledsoe his ideal quarterback.’
Bledsoe evens our score with New England
‘We knew Bledsoe was a wonderful quarterback, but we had no idea he was this great.’
Winfield, Williams may be back
‘Winfield has missed two games due to minor arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage in his knee. Williams has been out two weeks with a strained hamstring.’
Drew Bledsoe or Tom Brady?
‘The Patriots absolutely made the right choice to stick with Brady — they won a Super Bowl with him. That team caught a spark with Brady and Belichick wisely rode the hot hand. What was he supposed to do for 2002, cut the Super Bowl MVP and go back to Bledsoe, a player who was stagnating in his system and eating up $5 million in cap space?’
Looking ahead: Bills week 9
‘No longer is this going to be a ”Win One for the Drewster” kind of game. The Bills are in the playoff hunt and they need to beat division opponents because it seems that their best route to a postseason berth will be to win the AFC East.’
Belichick the target for Bledsoe
‘The Bills quarterback is too classy a guy to get into it publicly. But privately he could care less for the Pats coach. He believes Belichick lied to him about giving him a chance to regain his starting job last season after the quarterback returned from a life-threatening chest injury.’
Dropped football pass brought Ralph and Mary Wilson together
‘To think, this love affair with Ralph Wilson and football might never have happened had Ronnie Harmon not dropped that ball in the 1989 playoff game in Cleveland.’
Pressure back on Brady, Pats
‘So how will Brady handle going to a stadium filled with frenzied fans playing against a team aching to win one for the guy — Bledsoe — who has given the city and its players a football rebirth? The relentless Boston media will be hounding, too. Some were already in Buffalo on Sunday and one paper is sending seven reporters to chronicle Bledsoe Bowl I.’