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Very interesting. Never heard something like this about Bledsoe before. It appears that he thought he was smarter than some of his coaches in NE and Buffalo.
I think it's good to be reminded that this is the 10-year anniversary weekend for the Drew Bledsoe hit by Mo Lewis that led to the ascension of Tom Brady -- thanks, Adam Schefter -- but we all should remember one thing that, for some reason, seems to have been washed away by time. Brady's time was coming whether Bledsoe got hurt or not.
The Patriot staff, Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis most notably, were tiring of studying tape and installing a game plan during the week, then having Bledsoe change an inordinate number of plays and make decisions outside of the progressions Weis wanted in the passing game. Unless Bledsoe led the Patriots to the same Super Bowl victory Brady did in 2001, I believe the Patriots would likely have made the quarterback change before the 2002 season.
Bledsoe was a very good player for the Patriots, to be sure. But even in Buffalo, the staff tired of him taking such strong control of the offense -- and other things. The Bills let Bledsoe walk after some big losses in his third year with the team, 2004. None bigger than the last one, a loss to Pittsburgh on a windy day in Buffalo.
Winds were whipping up pretty strong that day, and before he walked out to midfield for the flip, Bledsoe was advised by coaches to choose to defend the east goal if Pittsburgh won the toss and elected to receive. (Though the official play-by-play listed the wind as coming from the south that day, Buffalo coaches felt it was an easterly wind.) That way, the Steelers wouldn't be wind-aided when they took the ball. Pittsburgh won the toss. Pittsburgh elected to receive. Bledsoe said Buffalo would defend the west goal. West?
Bledsoe explained that when he got to midfield, it seemed to him the wind was whipping around differently than the way the coaches thought, and so he picked the opposite goal to defend. Bledsoe had a seesaw 16-of-30 day and Pittsburgh won 29-24. Bledsoe never played again for Buffalo.
Bledsoe is very smart, but on a few occasions, thinking differently than his coaches hurt his employment career. And it affected the balance of power for years in the AFC East.
The Patriot staff, Bill Belichick and Charlie Weis most notably, were tiring of studying tape and installing a game plan during the week, then having Bledsoe change an inordinate number of plays and make decisions outside of the progressions Weis wanted in the passing game. Unless Bledsoe led the Patriots to the same Super Bowl victory Brady did in 2001, I believe the Patriots would likely have made the quarterback change before the 2002 season.
Bledsoe was a very good player for the Patriots, to be sure. But even in Buffalo, the staff tired of him taking such strong control of the offense -- and other things. The Bills let Bledsoe walk after some big losses in his third year with the team, 2004. None bigger than the last one, a loss to Pittsburgh on a windy day in Buffalo.
Winds were whipping up pretty strong that day, and before he walked out to midfield for the flip, Bledsoe was advised by coaches to choose to defend the east goal if Pittsburgh won the toss and elected to receive. (Though the official play-by-play listed the wind as coming from the south that day, Buffalo coaches felt it was an easterly wind.) That way, the Steelers wouldn't be wind-aided when they took the ball. Pittsburgh won the toss. Pittsburgh elected to receive. Bledsoe said Buffalo would defend the west goal. West?
Bledsoe explained that when he got to midfield, it seemed to him the wind was whipping around differently than the way the coaches thought, and so he picked the opposite goal to defend. Bledsoe had a seesaw 16-of-30 day and Pittsburgh won 29-24. Bledsoe never played again for Buffalo.
Bledsoe is very smart, but on a few occasions, thinking differently than his coaches hurt his employment career. And it affected the balance of power for years in the AFC East.
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