New England's Take

[RIBill]

Just thought some of you folks from outside New England would get a kick out of what the talk sports radio station in RI is heating up with this morning. The callers are getting a bit impatient with the Pats and their losing streak. According to the host of the show he feels this weeks game with the Bills is a must for the success of the Pats. If they fail to bring home a win then the season is over as far as he is concerned. He predicts a win for NE. A lot of the callers were more pro Buffalo and disgusted with NE. There is a bus trip heading up to Buffalo this weekend and most of the people are going to see Drew. He still has a lot of fans in NE. In fact according to a season ticket holder for the Pats, when they show the Bills scores up on the scoreboard, everyone cheers. I have always felt that Drew got screwed in NE by Bellichik. He was unable to play due to an injury and then when he recovered he never got the chance to win his job back. Put the guy back in the game and if he messes up then take him out. Then to add insult to injury he gets traded to a division rival the Bills. What that tells me is that Bellichik felt Drew was past his prime, that he couldn't play anymore. Talk about a slap in the face. Well, I hope he goes out and plays the game of his life. Keep in mind that his emotions are going to be off the chart and that he needs to keep them in check. You know his teammates will want to make sure he takes it to his old team. They are emphasizing that Bellichik knows how to defend Drew and that he has his number. Well, keep this in mind - who was pretty boy Tom Brady's mentor? Don't you think that Drew knows Tom inside and out? The Bills are my number one team and Sunday's game will go a long way in sending a big message to the Pats and the entire NFL that they are back!!!

[TypicalBill]

Welcome to the Zone RIBill !!!

[Cntrygal]

I think it's a "must win" for both of us. So of course.... I want US to win. I think Drew will be able to keep his emotions under control, if he starts to ping a little - maybe Big Mike can sit on him for a min. lol It should be an exciting game!

btw.... Welcome to the Zone!! :)

[ArcticWildMan]

Welcome RIBill!!


Everybody seems to think Drew will be a bundle of nerves. What about Brady? He may actually have more pressure on him this coming weekend than during the SB!! The honeymoon is over and the fans are getting very restless in NE. Drew is riding a winning streak and is putting up MVP numbers while Brady wallows in a losing streak with mediocre numbers!

[clumping platelets]

Take the over

I believe this game will be like many in recent Pats/Bills history:

Close game with the winner winning by less than a TD or more likely a FG in OT.

Both defenses are suspect but I like Bledsoe over Brady because, quite honestly, Drew has more to prove :)

[Dozerdog]

Welcome aboard! Great post!


The funny thing about Bellichick- he radically changed the pats offense from being QB centered to a much more conservative approach when Bledsoe went down. Miracle of miracles, it was just the tonic (RI word :)) that the lethargic Pats needed.

Bledsoe gets healthy, and then Bellichick decides not to mess with his new success. A valid approach, but Billy is not very tactful. He ran Bernie Kosar out of Cleveland years ago, going from beloved starter to being cut in mid season.

He never gave Drew the opprtunity to pilot the more conservative approach. Now that he dumped him, he gave Brady Drew's old playbook of chucking it 40 times a game. It worked nice the fist 2 games, but teams caught on quick. Now Brady is struggling in a Drew Bledsoe offense.

New Englanders have become accustomed to failure and dissapointment. I'm one of them rooting for the Red Sox. This is just another Boggs/Clements situation where local icons get more respect- success away from Boston. Look at Bourque- they held a parade for him after they traded him away and he won a cup. Ironically, they could have used him as they dramatically improved the next season (and without impact from whom they got in return for Ray).

Salt in the wounds is a Boston Tradition.

[clumping platelets]

well let's buy a salt mine for this week :)

[TacklingDummy]

Drew is going to want this game the way Flutie wanted to beat the Bills last year. Lets hope the game turns out the sameway it did for Doug but not the way the Chargers finished last season.

And every Bill on the roster is going to want to win this game for Drew. I think next week will be the Bills best defensive game of the season.

[Halbert]

Originally posted by ArcticWildMan
Everybody seems to think Drew will be a bundle of nerves. What about Brady? He may actually have more pressure on him this coming weekend than during the SB!!

Good point. Ok, that second sentence might be a little over the top but the game might be the next biggest of his career pressure wise.

[InTheBox]

This game is huge. TacklingDummy right this is going be are best D performance of the year. There saying thank you for winning games when we were playing bad. Also i think drew going to put up some big yards!!!!
GO BILLS!!!!

[clumping platelets]

Actually I prefer Drew put up some human yards not bug yards

[BillsOwnAll]

i smell a 400 yrd day comeing on i think bledsoe is gonna make the game plan this week PASS PASS PASS Shut the biatch bellichiek up and poke him in the eye GO BILLS


can wait till they play at "the razor" will the chant be brady or bledsoe ???

[Scott]

Good to read positive comments regarding Drew from a Pats fan, many seem to have forgetten what he did for the team.
It seems to me Drew's decline in NE corresponded to a drop off in talent around him.

[RIBill]

Scott,

I am a Bills fan first then a Pats fan. Bills are #1 as far as I am concerned.

[ublinkwescore]

I'll never understand how you can like two teams in the same division, but at least you got #1 right.