Here's my 11 cents:
I believe that TD made a great move bringing Bledsoe into Buffalo. An already proven franchise QB for a small price. Bledsoe has shown this team and the fans that he can play the game and get the job done.
Let us not forget the other QB options the Bills were looking at had Bledsoe not come into the picture. Gamble with AVP...look to the draft for a future QB. Sign a Jeff Blake like player....gamble with the draft. In short the other options were sensless. The Bills front office scored by bringing Bledsoe into town. However.....
Everybody that has ever watched a football game knows that Drew Bledsoe has a great arm and NO mobility. Bledsoe relies 100% on his passing skills. What does a QB like that need in order to help the team function appropriately?
1) A solid line to protect him and give him time.
2) A competant OC that knows how to disguise formations in order to provide more time for passing and is able to recognize and utilize the talent in front of him.
3) Most importantly a QB coach.
Let's look at #1:
After the 2002 Season, it was quite apparant that the OL needed to be addressed in order to improve the passing game. The changes and the "improvements" that were made need to be more closely scrutinized .
Why change the line coach? The line was new, young and gelling at times last season. Although the pass block gave them fits the run block was superb. To fire an O-line coach that can take a young line and get them to produce like that in one season is just irresponsible. He should have been given more time to adjust, like the rest of the coaching staff didn't.
Regardless, some changes in the offensive line needed to be addressed. Rather than draft OL help in the first or second round(preferably a Center) , the Bills instead choose to draft yet another RB. Only this one would make no intial impact on the team. He would take nearly an entire season to mend and couldn't provide any immediate assitance to help the Bills running game, which by the way, wasn't a problem last year. ???
Now #2:
I wrote a similar post earlier describing Gilbrides lack of imagination to open the passing game. The word imagination, as someone pointed out, is not the right choice of word when describing KG's inabilities. What Gilbride truly lacks is not imagination, it's common sense.
Drew cannot be expected to drop back several times in a game, find the time behind a patch work line and make a throw downfield. The OC needs to help his QB out more by focusing more on the run, setting up more quick release plays like screens and quick slants which will force Bledsoe's ball, and it will also help keep opposing defenses honest and in check. Once the opposing D starts to focus more on the Bills short game, that's when it's time to launch the ball downfield. Not a second sooner.
Which brings me to #3:
Just like baseball, throwing a football takes amazing concentration and comprehension from the QB. In order to maintain the two, a QB needs a guide to ensure that he sticks with the basics. A QB coach is a pair of eyes from the sideline, an individual to point out mistakes in game tape, and someone that can settle the QB's mind down during a game and make the QB focus more on the important time that lay ahead (getting him back into the game).
Just like a pitcher needs his pitching coach to help esatblish himself in practice, a QB needs reminding of the basics when he's having a bad day.
Why does Bledsoe not have a QB coach? Gilbride can barely understand his own work, so how can he possibly be competent enough to help Drew out when his own line of work is too difficult for him.
I believe that TD made a great move bringing Bledsoe into Buffalo. An already proven franchise QB for a small price. Bledsoe has shown this team and the fans that he can play the game and get the job done.
Let us not forget the other QB options the Bills were looking at had Bledsoe not come into the picture. Gamble with AVP...look to the draft for a future QB. Sign a Jeff Blake like player....gamble with the draft. In short the other options were sensless. The Bills front office scored by bringing Bledsoe into town. However.....
Everybody that has ever watched a football game knows that Drew Bledsoe has a great arm and NO mobility. Bledsoe relies 100% on his passing skills. What does a QB like that need in order to help the team function appropriately?
1) A solid line to protect him and give him time.
2) A competant OC that knows how to disguise formations in order to provide more time for passing and is able to recognize and utilize the talent in front of him.
3) Most importantly a QB coach.
Let's look at #1:
After the 2002 Season, it was quite apparant that the OL needed to be addressed in order to improve the passing game. The changes and the "improvements" that were made need to be more closely scrutinized .
Why change the line coach? The line was new, young and gelling at times last season. Although the pass block gave them fits the run block was superb. To fire an O-line coach that can take a young line and get them to produce like that in one season is just irresponsible. He should have been given more time to adjust, like the rest of the coaching staff didn't.
Regardless, some changes in the offensive line needed to be addressed. Rather than draft OL help in the first or second round(preferably a Center) , the Bills instead choose to draft yet another RB. Only this one would make no intial impact on the team. He would take nearly an entire season to mend and couldn't provide any immediate assitance to help the Bills running game, which by the way, wasn't a problem last year. ???
Now #2:
I wrote a similar post earlier describing Gilbrides lack of imagination to open the passing game. The word imagination, as someone pointed out, is not the right choice of word when describing KG's inabilities. What Gilbride truly lacks is not imagination, it's common sense.
Drew cannot be expected to drop back several times in a game, find the time behind a patch work line and make a throw downfield. The OC needs to help his QB out more by focusing more on the run, setting up more quick release plays like screens and quick slants which will force Bledsoe's ball, and it will also help keep opposing defenses honest and in check. Once the opposing D starts to focus more on the Bills short game, that's when it's time to launch the ball downfield. Not a second sooner.
Which brings me to #3:
Just like baseball, throwing a football takes amazing concentration and comprehension from the QB. In order to maintain the two, a QB needs a guide to ensure that he sticks with the basics. A QB coach is a pair of eyes from the sideline, an individual to point out mistakes in game tape, and someone that can settle the QB's mind down during a game and make the QB focus more on the important time that lay ahead (getting him back into the game).
Just like a pitcher needs his pitching coach to help esatblish himself in practice, a QB needs reminding of the basics when he's having a bad day.
Why does Bledsoe not have a QB coach? Gilbride can barely understand his own work, so how can he possibly be competent enough to help Drew out when his own line of work is too difficult for him.
Comment