I'm back - with an apology

[pats-were-right]

Now that I'm back from vacation it's time to make amends.

I admit that I made a horrible factual error last time I was on here - I indicated Brady had a stronger arm than Bledsoe. After researching it I determined that I had mixed Brady up with Michael Bishop, who used to come in for Drew on "desperation" type heaves during 1999 and 2000.

Of course that's the last time I'll mention Brady and Bishop in the same sentence.

I'm sorry I let my bias get in the way of fact checking.

With that said, and given the resurgence of "Was it Drew's fault" posts, I still haven't seen a coherent or direct answer to the following question:

If it was totally or primarily Gilbride / O-line's fault, how do you explain the first six games of the 2002 season?

Put another way, what's more likely, a coach or entire line to "lose it" or a QB who has "lost it" in the past?

[TigerJ]

When I have addressed the Bledsoe versus Gilbride blame questiion, I've never said it was all Gilbride's fault. I think ultimate3ly defences are more sophisticated now than when the run and shoot offense first debuted. Gilbride's offense is not a pure run and shoot, but it is a run and shoot philosophy with a conventional personnel package. I think that when the offense debuted at the start of 2002, defences weren't ready for it. I think as the season wore on, defensive coordinators, having film on it began to notice weaknesses in Bledsoe's ability to run the offense, specifically his inability to make quick enough reads when facing heavy pressure. A poorly coached offensive line and running backs which could not pick up blitz packages complicated matters. Add to that the all to frequent miss reads by WRs who ran the wrong routes and you had a recipe for disaster.

You could say that the blame belonged to Gilbride, Bledsoe, Henry (on blitz pickup) the line, and the WRs. Then you could give credit to defensive coordinators for learning how to exploit the weaknesses of the offensive system that Buffalo ran.

[Earthquake Enyart]

The success of the passing game early in 2002 went to Gilbride's head. The playcalling went berserk. That and they had a string of bad weather games at the end... at least the last 6 games were played in the cold.

[buffmaniac]

The first 8 games in 02 show me just how good Bledsoe really is for him to be able to have success in Gilbride's ridiculous offensive system which is overly complex and too pass-happy. You see the first half of 02 we cruised along playing great because we did have alot of talent on offense but then defenses caught onto what we were doing and they made changes but we did not. We continued to try to play the same way and we struggled. Then that offseason we lose 3 key players and then Moulds gets hurt early on and yet we still try to play the style on offense. Even Winfield said something about that during the season. It was obvious we needed to make some changes but Gilbride did nothing.

I posted this a couple of times now but I'll do it again. In 2000 Pitt's O under Gilbride was 22nd in the league. Then in 2001 Mularkey takes over the same O and they are 3rd.

I'm telling you Gilbride and his schemes have been the biggest problem for this offense. Now that he is gone Bledsoe and this offense will be much better off.

[Tatonka]

[chernobylwraiths]

In addition to some of these answers, which have many points that I agree with, I was also under the impression that in the beginning of the '02 season, the full offensive playbook wasn't installed yet. I remember that when Gilbride was initially hired he said that it takes at least two years to fully implement and understand his offense because it was so complicated. And he was right, it took the Bills brass two years to fully understand that his offense was too complicated and just wouldn't work.

[BigZ]

Originally posted by Tatonka

What part's spam - in your opinion? Pat-were-right or the rest of the thread denigrating Gilbride's offensive system?

IMHO, the comments about Gilbride are right on!

[saviorbledsoe]

I, along with others have answered this question many times.

Gilbride and Williams did not know how to make adjustments, whether it be during a game or during a season. The rest of the league caught on to the formula and the coaching could not adjust.

[BigZ]

Originally posted by saviorbledsoe
I, along with others have answered this question many times.

Gilbride and Williams did not know how to make adjustments, whether it be during a game or during a season. The rest of the league caught on to the formula and the coaching could not adjust.

Agreed, now

[B-DON]

bledsoe refused to make adjustments by looking off his first receiver and dont tell me he couldnt audible some of the plays that come in. stop using gilbride as drew's scapegoat

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by chernobylwraiths
In addition to some of these answers, which have many points that I agree with, I was also under the impression that in the beginning of the '02 season, the full offensive playbook wasn't installed yet. I remember that when Gilbride was initially hired he said that it takes at least two years to fully implement and understand his offense because it was so complicated. And he was right, it took the Bills brass two years to fully understand that his offense was too complicated and just wouldn't work.

[saviorbledsoe]

Originally posted by B-DON
bledsoe refused to make adjustments by looking off his first receiver and dont tell me he couldnt audible some of the plays that come in. stop using gilbride as drew's scapegoat

yeah because YOU were in the huddle :wink:

stop using bledsoe as a scapegoat for last years bad season.

[CWOUSARET]

forget the apology - the patsies SUCK!!!!!!!!!! why? becase they are PATSIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saviorbledsoe]

Originally posted by CWOUSARET
forget the apology - the patsies SUCK!!!!!!!!!! why? becase they are PATSIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ill drink to that!

[SABURZFAN]

Originally posted by B-DON
bledsoe refused to make adjustments by looking off his first receiver and dont tell me he couldnt audible some of the plays that come in. stop using gilbride as drew's scapegoat

it was a combination of things.not JUST gilbride.