Drew Bledsoe, Hall of Famer?

[Stewie]

Someone mentioned in another thread that Drew Bledsoe is a likely candidate for the HOF. A couple weeks back, I heard a local sports guy spout off about how great Drew Bledsoe is and that the Bills didn't use him properly.

I was a huge supporter of Drew when he came to Buffalo. For the month or so that there were rumors flying around about the possibility of trading for him, I was all for it. When Drew ripped up preaseason and his first eight games, I was on cloud nine. I think he's a class act and a solid football player.

But he's not a hall of famer. Not in my opinion.

Lets look at some of his career stats compared to Jeff Blake. I don't think there's anyone out there who's going to try and convince you that JB is a hall of fame player.

Jeff entered the league in '92, Drew in '93.

Games played: Jeff = 117, Drew = 172.
Lifetime completion percentage: Jeff=56.3, Drew 57.0
Total yards: Jeff=21,656, Drew=39,808
Yards per attempt: Jeff=6.70, Drew=6.58
Total touchdowns: Jeff=133, Drew=221
Total interceptions: Jeff=99, Drew=181
Touchdowns per 100 attempts: Jeff=4.11, Drew=3.65
Interceptions per 100 attempts: Jeff=3.06, Drew=2.99
Career rating: Jeff=77.9, Drew=76.7

This tells me something: Jeff Blake and Drew Bledsoe, for all intents and purposes, produce equally on the football field. Drew has more yards, touchdowns, a better int ratio, and probably better longevity. Jeff has fewer interceptions, a better TD ratio, yards per attempt and career rating. Also, his TD/INT ratio is better than Drew's, even though Drew has played on much better teams (Blake played on early '90's jets, cincinatti, and arizona for the bulk of his career). If you project Jeff's numbers to Drew's attempts, they're very similar.

So I ask you: why does Drew even have a shot at hall of fame consideration?

[The King]

NFL Records and 40,000 yards. Youngest QB to throw for 20,000 yards. And a franchise was rebuilt on his back.

[Novacane]

If Bledsoe can get in than the HOF is nothing to brag about

[OpIv37]

NFL Records and 40,000 yards. Youngest QB to throw for 20,000 yards. And a franchise was rebuilt on his back.

that's true- before Bledsoe's arrival, NE had back to back 2-14 seasons and was the joke of the NFL. Although he wasn't the one to finally bring home the championship, he's the one who got the ball rolling and brought enough respect to the team to attract quality players.

[Stewie]

that's true- before Bledsoe's arrival, NE had back to back 2-14 seasons and was the joke of the NFL. Although he wasn't the one to finally bring home the championship, he's the one who got the ball rolling and brought enough respect to the team to attract quality players.

I'm sure, Bill Parcells, Bill Belicheck, Curtis Martin and Ben Coates had nothing to do with it. It must have been all Drew.

[illusionone]

He's a Hall of Famer in my book

[The King]

I'm sure, Bill Parcells, Bill Belicheck, Curtis Martin and Ben Coates had nothing to do with it. It must have been all Drew.

You should know that the QB draws more press than all 4 of the above mentioned.

[Stewie]

You should know that the QB draws more press than all 4 of the above mentioned.

Since I've never played sports professionally I can only make assumptions. I would tend to think that 1. money, 2. a chance to win, and 3. a chance to start would rank above having a qb on your team who draws press.

Besides, is there any group other than the press that players hold in lower regard? I mean, 99% of them are guys who could never get a glimpse of a field as a player, yet they act like they know it all and they call out players for being too bad, too much of a *****, etc.

[BAM]

Someone mentioned in another thread that Drew Bledsoe is a likely candidate for the HOF. A couple weeks back, I heard a local sports guy spout off about how great Drew Bledsoe is and that the Bills didn't use him properly.

I was a huge supporter of Drew when he came to Buffalo. For the month or so that there were rumors flying around about the possibility of trading for him, I was all for it. When Drew ripped up preaseason and his first eight games, I was on cloud nine. I think he's a class act and a solid football player.

But he's not a hall of famer. Not in my opinion.

Lets look at some of his career stats compared to Jeff Blake. I don't think there's anyone out there who's going to try and convince you that JB is a hall of fame player.

Jeff entered the league in '92, Drew in '93.

Games played: Jeff = 117, Drew = 172.
Lifetime completion percentage: Jeff=56.3, Drew 57.0
Total yards: Jeff=21,656, Drew=39,808
Yards per attempt: Jeff=6.70, Drew=6.58
Total touchdowns: Jeff=133, Drew=221
Total interceptions: Jeff=99, Drew=181
Touchdowns per 100 attempts: Jeff=4.11, Drew=3.65
Interceptions per 100 attempts: Jeff=3.06, Drew=2.99
Career rating: Jeff=77.9, Drew=76.7

This tells me something: Jeff Blake and Drew Bledsoe, for all intents and purposes, produce equally on the football field. Drew has more yards, touchdowns, a better int ratio, and probably better longevity. Jeff has fewer interceptions, a better TD ratio, yards per attempt and career rating. Also, his TD/INT ratio is better than Drew's, even though Drew has played on much better teams (Blake played on early '90's jets, cincinatti, and arizona for the bulk of his career). If you project Jeff's numbers to Drew's attempts, they're very similar.

So I ask you: why does Drew even have a shot at hall of fame consideration?

Welcome back, wys. I think he has made this comparison 100+ times.

[Philagape]

Seems that reality hasn't sunken in yet, so I'll repeat my post from another thread ...

QBs IN THE HALL OF FAME

Sammy Baugh (QB) 1937-1952
Earl (Dutch) Clark 1931-1932, 1934-1938
Jimmy Conzelman 1920-1929
John (Paddy) Driscoll 1920-1929
Arnie Herber 1930-1940, 1944-1945
Sid Luckman 1939-1950
Clarence (Ace) Parker 1937-141, 1945-1946
George Blanda (Also PK) 1949-1958, 1960-1975
Terry Bradshaw 1970-1983
Len Dawson 1957-1975
John Elway 1983-1998
Dan Fouts 1973-1987
Otto Graham 1946-1955
Bob Griese 1967-1980
Sonny Jurgensen 1957-1974
Jim Kelly 1986-1996
Bobby Layne 1948-1962
Dan Marino 1983-1999
Joe Montana 1979-1994
Joe Namath 1965-1977
Bart Starr 1956-1971
Roger Staubach 1969-1979
Fran Tarkenton 1961-1978
Y.A. Tittle 1948-1964
Johnny Unitas 1956-1973
Norm Van Brocklin 1949-1960
Bob Waterfield 1945-1952
Steve Young 1985-1999

Current/recent QBs likely to make it: Favre, Manning, Brady, Aikman.

Look at how exclusive that list is. To run up big career numbers by mere longevity is not enough. You have to be a championship-caliber QB, one who is consistently among the best in the league. Drew has been neither. He's had three big years (four if you count 1994, when he threw 27 INTs) -- that's a quarter of his career. Zero titles where he was the starter. His career rating is 76.6.

He's comparable to Dave Krieg or Warren Moon or Boomer Esiason. When you consider that they aren't in (nor SB winners Jim Plunkett, Joe Theismann, Ken Stabler, Phil Simms), Drew cannot touch the HOF.

[OpIv37]

I'm sure, Bill Parcells, Bill Belicheck, Curtis Martin and Ben Coates had nothing to do with it. It must have been all Drew.

And I'm sure some of those guys wouldn't have even talked to NE if Bledsoe wasn't there as a foundation. I'm not saying that this on it's own makes Bledsoe worthy of the hall of fame. I'm saying that he took a crappy team and made them respectable- NE is a dynasty and Bledsoe contributed the foundation that it was built on. That's why the Jeff Blake comparison is ridiculous. He played for 3 crappy teams that are still crappy a decade later- he didn't contribute to their improvement at all. Bledsoe's certainly no Montana or Marino, but don't let the fact that he's not the next Jim Kelly take away from what he did accomplish.

[Philagape]

And I'm sure some of those guys wouldn't have even talked to NE if Bledsoe wasn't there as a foundation. I'm not saying that this on it's own makes Bledsoe worthy of the hall of fame. I'm saying that he took a crappy team and made them respectable- NE is a dynasty and Bledsoe contributed the foundation that it was built on.

The ONLY thing Drew did to contribute to the Patriots dynasty is get injured.

[Novacane]

The ONLY thing Drew did to contribute to the Patriots dynasty is get injured.

How true

[Stewie]

The ONLY thing Drew did to contribute to the Patriots dynasty is get injured.

Exactly.

Why is it Parcells and Belicheck won Super Bowls before Drew, and Belicheck started winning super bowls immediately post-drew? With the same team.

?

[Forward_Lateral]

He's comparable to Dave Krieg or Warren Moon or Boomer Esiason. When you consider that they aren't in (nor SB winners Jim Plunkett, Joe Theismann, Ken Stabler, Phil Simms), Drew cannot touch the HOF.

I am a Drew fan, and a Drew supporter, member of the DLC, whatever you call it. And I have to say, what you just said is 100 % dead on. Has Drew had a good career? Yes? A Great career? Perhaps, but a HOF career? No.