Drew is blue

by Hector Longo

You have to go back nearly four years to the day, Oct. 1, 2000. Drew Bledsoe, then the New England Patriots' starting quarterback for first-year coach Bill Belichick, displayed a bravado for the entire National Football League to see. Back then, when Bledsoe was on a Hall of Fame track, he dissected the Denver Broncos, hitting 18 of 27 passes for 271 yards, four TDs, with only one interception and a QB rating of 123.6. It was the last time Bledsoe, who's started 47 games since, strapped his team on his back and whooped a 10-plus win, playoff-caliber opponent.