An Open Letter to Drew Bledsoe

by Jim Byrne

Drew, before I begin I just want you to know that I have always supported you.

Dearest Drew Bledsoe,

Drew, before I begin I just want you to know that I have always supported you. I’ve hoped, prayed and wished for you to be the man that leads the Buffalo Bills to a Super Bowl. It would have been great to see you lead us there. You are a person one loves to get behind and cheer for. Even when things first began to go awry, I stood firmly entrenched in the “Bledsoe Supporter” camp. When other writers began to call for your head, I stood by your side and proclaimed that it was not your fault.

“Give the man some protection!” I yelled when the wolves began to howl. In my heart of hearts, I truly believed that the Drew that we saw for the first eight games of the 2002 season could be resurrected in a heartbeat. All you needed was a few blocks, a decent running back and some receivers to throw to. Then the Buffalo Bills would be on a path for a Super Bowl. It would be as easy as that.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

They say that a team goes the way its leader goes, mirroring their captain and following the example they set forth. It is an understatement to say that the Buffalo Bills have ebbed and flowed in the style of you, Drew.

Something “they” also say is that to kill the beast, you must remove its head from its shoulders. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills have been an ugly, boring, abomination of a beast for quite some time now.

We thought we had removed the source of all of our problems in the disposal of head coach Gregg Williams at the end of a punchless 2003 season, but the same problems remain one year later under new head coach Mike Mularkey.

A fishy smell has come to the forefront.

As bad as Williams was, maybe we were all wrong in pointing the burning finger at him. In fact Drew, I think we should have pointed it at you. Drew, you are the problem with the Buffalo Bills, just as you were the restraint holding back the New England Patriots from their glory. Is it a coincidence that once Tom Brady took over for you, the Patriots reached unprecedented heights? At this point, it is obvious that coincidence has nothing to do with it.

You held the Patriots down, just like you are holding this talented Bills team down. It’s a shame in this day and age too, when a team’s shelf life is only so long in the era of NFL parity.

This isn’t to say that the Bills will springboard into the Super Bowl with your departure, but hey, there is a precedent here.

Man, I’m so sorry, this is really painful for me. I can’t say enough about you as a person. You’re a great guy, a solid role model for the kids and an all around class act. You’re an excellent ambassador for the game of football; you play it the way it should be played. In a time where anti-heroes rule the day, you are the epitome of the classic, true hero.

But Drew, Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens was your last stand as a Buffalo Bill in my eyes. While I may also have to send a letter to Eric Moulds in light of his key dropped passes, you were the one at the end of the day that had five turnovers.

You guys outplayed the Ravens in every aspect of the game. Except for turnover differential, that is, the most important piece of the puzzle to winning an NFL game.

Drew, you cost us the game, and I just can’t take it anymore.

This Buffalo Bills team is in dire need of a new leader, a new swagger and a new style of play. So, please, pass the torch to this young buck in J.P. Losman. I know you can see that Losman, Willis McGahee and Lee Evans are the future of this offense. Please do not interfere any longer. Step aside, my friend, please step aside.

The removal of Losman’s cast will be your cue to hand the offense over. I was cheering for you Drew, but after compiling a 15-23 record over nearly two and a half seasons in Buffalo, it is clear that the team is in dire need of a change.

It is time to cut the problem off at its true head.

Once again, I am sorry, but this is just the way it has to be.

Good luck wherever life takes you.

Sincerely,

Jim Byrne

P.S. We will always respect you Drew. Stay class

Jim Byrne’s “Bills Blasts” appear weekly on the Erie-Times News website, GoErie.com, and he is a writer for his site at ZubazPants.com.