• Read it and weep...or cheer.•

[DaBills]

"ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Sub-par numbers aside, quarterback Drew Bledsoe is confident he's earned the right to remain the Buffalo Bills' starter heading into next season.

"It's my team," Bledsoe said this week after the Bills missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year despite a strong finish.

The Bills - from coach Mike Mularkey to team owner Ralph Wilson - agree with Bledsoe. "

http://sports.excite.com/news/01042005/v9950.html

[Jayhawk]

damn

[Iehoshua]

If he's the starter, then so be it.

I will be (pleasantly) shocked, however, if we find any further success with Drew starting. I was pleasantly surprised this year, although I think most of it had litte to nothing to do with Bledsoe.

In my mind, I'll be expecting another let-down season. I guess 3 times isn't a charm. Buffalo likes doing things in fours.

[Commissioner]

So basically we will have another repeat season....

[Jan Reimers]

I think calling Drew the starter next year is the politically correct thing to do at this point. I also think that JP Losman will get a fair opportunity in preseason to win the job. Everyone is well aware of Drew's strengths and weaknesses.

[TigerJ]

I'm certainly ready for a change at the QB position, but I actually think that Buffalo would win more games next season with Drew as QB than with JP. I also think the Bills stand a very good chance of making the playoffs next year with Drew as QB. I can easily see them winning 11 or 12 games. They weren't that far away from doing so this year. The question is can Drew AND the rest of the team make the transition from a team that knows how to dominate their lesser opponents to a team that can compete with and defeat the Patriots and Steelers of the league. I think as much as anything it is a matter of the Bills getting intimidated by the elite of the league. Drew lets old habits come back to life and forgets the things he was doing successfully during the 6 game win streak. I just don't know that he can make that final leap at this point in his career. If he can't, then while the Bills may make the playoffs, obviously they will eventually run into a team that will make him regress again and he will never take the Bills to a Super Bowl. Everyone has opinions. The trouble is know one can know for sure.

[OpIv37]

I think calling Drew the starter next year is the politically correct thing to do at this point. I also think that JP Losman will get a fair opportunity in preseason to win the job. Everyone is well aware of Drew's strengths and weaknesses.

Jan- you and I definitely agree on this whole Bledsoe situation.

Saying Bledsoe's not the starter now would destroy his confidence. Also, don't forget that he had several very good games before the Pitt game- that makes it more difficult for the coaches to bench him. It was a very disappointing loss, and the coaches know better than to go after a player in the immediate aftermath.

JP has nine months, several mini-camps, training camp and pre-season to prove himself. The coaches can say what they want now, but they'll make their decision the first week of September.

[ScottLawrence]

NO where in the article does it say he is the starter.

[DaBills]

"NO where in the article does it say he is the starter."

Where Ralph and MM agree that it's 'his team.' You don't think that says he's the starter? Dude, I may want JP, but even I'm not that delusional to think Drew isn't the starter after getting Ralph's blessing in that statement.

[Philagape]

It doesn't matter what anyone says now. Let's see who gets the practice reps in the week before the season opener.

[Drive 4 Five]

I don't know fellas, Bledsoe makes way too much money for the mediocre play he has given us. If he is our starting quarterback next season I will stop watching this team altogether. Seriously. I am not going to blow another $150 on the sunday ticket to see this guy lead us into ruin. Do I like Bledsoe? Yes. Have I been a supporter or lover or whatever the hell you guys call it? I have. But no more. I no longer have faith in this team with that guy as our quarterback. Screw that. I can find better things to do with my time. It makes me so mad to think that we are so close. I feel that if we had someone like Favre at the helm, we would be headed to the Superbowl.

You cannot blame it all on Drew that is true, but to anyone who thinks this guy can lead us to a championship, well screw you...

Did that rhyme? I'm kidding of course. Don't chew my head off now. I was just trying to be silly.

[ScottLawrence]

"NO where in the article does it say he is the starter."

Where Ralph and MM agree that it's 'his team.' You don't think that says he's the starter? Dude, I may want JP, but even I'm not that delusional to think Drew isn't the starter after getting Ralph's blessing in that statement.

I see no quote that says from Mike Mularkey:

"It is Drew's team"

The Bills - from coach Mike Mularkey to team owner Ralph Wilson - agree with Bledsoe.

"It wasn't all Drew," Wilson said, following Buffalo's season-ending loss Sunday to Pittsburgh, when Bledsoe struggled.

Mularkey shrugged off questions of Bledsoe's so-so passing numbers, saying the only figure that counted was the nine games his quarterback helped win this season.


"It's do you win or lose? That's the stat that comes out most," Mularkey said. "I don't know what the rest has to do with performance to be honest with you."

The Writter seems to think so as you can see but, I don't and I don't think Mularkey is so sure what to do just yet.

[BAM]

If he is our starting quarterback next season I will stop watching this team altogether.

Cya

[FTG]

Wilson saying it's not all Drews fault means he said it's Drews team next year This writer is just drawing his own conclusions.

Does not jive with what TD said on BB.com or What MM said in an interview I saw on TV yesterday. They said nothing about next year.........only said that every posistion will be evaluated in the offseason

[FTG]

I see no quote that says from Mike Mularkey:

"It is Drew's team"




The Writter seems to think so as you can see but, I don't and I don't think Mularkey is so sure what to do just yet.

The writer just draws his own conclusions. Maybe Drew will be back next year and maybe he won't. TD or MM have said nothing either way that I have heard.