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I’m going to take a different approach to this. Because the Cynical posters that come in week after week, making the believers feel stupid for holding out hope go about it all wrong. There has to be a better way.
For over 2 years now, up until about 6:25 P.M. EST yesterday, I have been one of the staunchest Drew Bledsoe Supporters. I remember waiting for the deal to become official during the 2002 draft. The entire time thinking about the records that this franchise QB was going to break in Buffalo. I spent that off-season defending him over the very few fans who doubted what he could do. I went out and bought a Bledsoe jersey on the very day the new jersey’s came out. I remember going bonkers over the first few weeks of that 2002 season when Drew was putting up 400 yard games proudly wearing my Bledsoe jersey and dreaming of the Superbowl that Drew would bring us. Even when it went bad at the end of that season, I always found excuses. Always stuck up for him thinking that it was just a matter of time before he finally turned it back around.
Then we got to 2003 and he started the season on fire again. And I told everybody that I knew he’d be back. It was the Drew Bledsoe of old, he looked unstoppable. But that also soon changed and again I started looking for excuses. Well, our Offensive Coordinator isn’t calling the right plays, Well our offensive line isn’t blocking well enough. And I refused to look at the truth.
At the end of last season, I started to realize that the problem may be Drew! But being the type of fan I am, I try to give my players every chance in the world. And with that, I was sure that with the new system, Drew was going to flourish in 2004. This would be his year. But somewhere in second half yesterday, I gave up.
I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t watch him take one more sack. I can’t watch the pressure come and see him just give up, hunch over and take the sack. I’ve seen it too much. I knew it was bad when I saw him on the field and hurt and part of me thought, “good, get someone else in there”! For me, that’s a major deal.
This team is good! Our defense is playing very well. We’ve held our first two opponents to 13 points. After the Raiders moved the ball early we shut them down. Travis Henry was running the ball very well yesterday. I feel like we’re wasting what could be a shot at the postseason. It’s just a matter of time before the rest of the team rises up and starts trouble. And they should.
The Offensive line gets a lot of flack for the offense not playing well. But it’s obvious to anybody watching the game that defensive coordinators know that if you blitz Drew, he can’t move and can’t beat the blitz. He gives up, he sees the pressure coming and does his hunch down move and takes the sack. All I want is a Rich Gannon type QB who can make one move, just one single move to buy 2 or 3 more seconds. Drew does not have that move. He doesn’t have any move. If we had a QB who could make that move and burn the defense for blitzing, the defenses would stop blitzing and the O-line would look better instantly.
And then when the defense doesn’t blitz and Drew does have time, he’s so punch drunk that he starts doing that nervous hop and ends up dumping it short. That stupid stop watch drill is doing nothing but forcing him to panic and dump the ball off. It’s like he’s lost all confidence in his deep ball.
It got so bad yesterday that I was willing to see what Shane Matthews could do. I don’t think Matthews has ever been on a team with so much talent. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a move, or burn a blitzing defense. I just don’t see how he could do any worse than Bledsoe at this point.
One of the biggest Drew Bledsoe fans around is now officially off the bandwagon. It’s not too late, the 2004 season can still be saved. 3 years ago, Drew led the Patriots to an 0-2 start and was injured. The Patriots went to Indy the next week to play the heavily favored Colts. Unknown Tom Brady tore the Colts up and you all know the rest.
I’m not saying we can go to the Superbowl this year. And our “Tom Brady” has a broken leg but I don’t see how we can do any worse with Shane Matthews starting against the heavily favored Patriots in 2 weeks.
Sorry, I finally see that it is time for a change.
For over 2 years now, up until about 6:25 P.M. EST yesterday, I have been one of the staunchest Drew Bledsoe Supporters. I remember waiting for the deal to become official during the 2002 draft. The entire time thinking about the records that this franchise QB was going to break in Buffalo. I spent that off-season defending him over the very few fans who doubted what he could do. I went out and bought a Bledsoe jersey on the very day the new jersey’s came out. I remember going bonkers over the first few weeks of that 2002 season when Drew was putting up 400 yard games proudly wearing my Bledsoe jersey and dreaming of the Superbowl that Drew would bring us. Even when it went bad at the end of that season, I always found excuses. Always stuck up for him thinking that it was just a matter of time before he finally turned it back around.
Then we got to 2003 and he started the season on fire again. And I told everybody that I knew he’d be back. It was the Drew Bledsoe of old, he looked unstoppable. But that also soon changed and again I started looking for excuses. Well, our Offensive Coordinator isn’t calling the right plays, Well our offensive line isn’t blocking well enough. And I refused to look at the truth.
At the end of last season, I started to realize that the problem may be Drew! But being the type of fan I am, I try to give my players every chance in the world. And with that, I was sure that with the new system, Drew was going to flourish in 2004. This would be his year. But somewhere in second half yesterday, I gave up.
I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t watch him take one more sack. I can’t watch the pressure come and see him just give up, hunch over and take the sack. I’ve seen it too much. I knew it was bad when I saw him on the field and hurt and part of me thought, “good, get someone else in there”! For me, that’s a major deal.
This team is good! Our defense is playing very well. We’ve held our first two opponents to 13 points. After the Raiders moved the ball early we shut them down. Travis Henry was running the ball very well yesterday. I feel like we’re wasting what could be a shot at the postseason. It’s just a matter of time before the rest of the team rises up and starts trouble. And they should.
The Offensive line gets a lot of flack for the offense not playing well. But it’s obvious to anybody watching the game that defensive coordinators know that if you blitz Drew, he can’t move and can’t beat the blitz. He gives up, he sees the pressure coming and does his hunch down move and takes the sack. All I want is a Rich Gannon type QB who can make one move, just one single move to buy 2 or 3 more seconds. Drew does not have that move. He doesn’t have any move. If we had a QB who could make that move and burn the defense for blitzing, the defenses would stop blitzing and the O-line would look better instantly.
And then when the defense doesn’t blitz and Drew does have time, he’s so punch drunk that he starts doing that nervous hop and ends up dumping it short. That stupid stop watch drill is doing nothing but forcing him to panic and dump the ball off. It’s like he’s lost all confidence in his deep ball.
It got so bad yesterday that I was willing to see what Shane Matthews could do. I don’t think Matthews has ever been on a team with so much talent. Maybe, just maybe, he could make a move, or burn a blitzing defense. I just don’t see how he could do any worse than Bledsoe at this point.
One of the biggest Drew Bledsoe fans around is now officially off the bandwagon. It’s not too late, the 2004 season can still be saved. 3 years ago, Drew led the Patriots to an 0-2 start and was injured. The Patriots went to Indy the next week to play the heavily favored Colts. Unknown Tom Brady tore the Colts up and you all know the rest.
I’m not saying we can go to the Superbowl this year. And our “Tom Brady” has a broken leg but I don’t see how we can do any worse with Shane Matthews starting against the heavily favored Patriots in 2 weeks.
Sorry, I finally see that it is time for a change.
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