Bledsoe - my observation

[Trip]

OK... let's look at Bledsoe's 2002....

The first 8 games:
Comp Att Yards TD Ints Rating
26 39 271 1 2 73.8
35 49 463 3 0 121.4
27 41 283 2 0 102.0
28 36 328 4 0 141.7
32 53 417 2 3 74.2
19 33 254 2 0 102.3
15 31 182 1 0 77.6
21 36 302 1 0 94.6

Let's total that up
203 318 2500 17 5

The last 8 games:
28 45 302 1 1 80.0
24 36 225 1 1 81.4
21 33 181 0 2 52.7
15 27 306 3 0 132.6
32 51 328 2 4 61.6
11 33 107 0 0 43.4
18 36 179 0 2 41.3
23 31 231 1 0 105.7

Let's total that up
172 292 1859 8 10

Pretty frightening huh? Obviously his probowl season of 2002 was done strictly on the backside of the first 8 games because he wasn't anything special over the last 8.

And it had nothing to do with "cold weather" (by the way, on the coldest day of the season, week 12, the temp was 25 degrees and Bledsoe had his 2nd best rating day of the season at 132.6) or Travis Henry "tanking" the last half of the season (1s half of season 151 carries 695 yards--- 2nd half of season 174 carries 743 yards)...

It had everything to do with defenses smarting up and taking away the deep ball from the Buffalo offense. Look at the yards per attemp... 1st 8 games 7.86, last 8 games 6.37... That is the entire story of how to beat Drew Bledsoe. Take away the long pass, make him work short where he isn't nearly as effective nor as happy.

2002 saw the best and worst of Drew Bledsoe wrapped up in a single season.

Michael,

Of course it had to do with cold weather. He has a lifetime 68 qb rating in games below 40 degrees. But I said that already....

We both agree he was on record pace the first 8 games of 2002, we just disagree on the cause of the dropoff.

 

[big_neil]

Drew threw a game-losing INT, but he has 2 game-winning TDs, plus a 3/4 49 yard OT performance, where you don't go for the TD (though Drew holds the NFL record with 4 OT TDs).

 

[Trip]

OK...


BTW, the Bills' defense in 2002 was ranked 15th in the NFL. Pretty "atrocious" huh?

It was pretty bad.

They were ranked 29th in the league against the run. There's only 32 teams, right?

They were ranked 6th in the league against the pass in yards allowed, but only 7 teams in the league gave up a better qb rating against. In other words, when teams did pass against them, they did it well. And why pile up passing yards, when you can control the game, keep the qb that was on a record pace offensively off the field , and run it down their throats?

19 defensive takeaways, worst in the conference, and I think the league but not sure on that one.

I think they were atrocious, and judging by all the defensive help they brought in, like Takeo spikes and Adams, pretty sure their coaching staff thought so, too.

 

[Slyster]

Buffalo Defense was 27th in points allowed in 2002.

Giving a QB protection isnt some new idea people. Some are lucky to have it and others are unlucky to not.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Buffalo Defense was 27th in points allowed in 2002.

Giving a QB protection isnt some new idea people. Some are lucky to have it and others are unlucky to not.

I'm still having a tough time grasping why we're even talking about the Bills' defense of 2002 in conjunction with Bledsoe's melt down the last half of the season.

The Bills had a 5-3 record the first 8 games and 3-5 the last 8, which I guess isn't surprising considering that Bledsoe tossed 17 TD's the first 8 games and only 8 the last 8 games.

And if you want I can show you that the Bills defense improved a great deal over the last 8 games also.

But regardless the performance of the Bills defense, which performed better than the Cowboys defense last year BTW, didn't have much to do with other teams taking away the deep pass over the last half of the season and essentially cutting Drew Bledsoe off at the knees.

 

[Trip]

I'm still having a tough time grasping why we're even talking about the Bills' defense of 2002 in conjunction with Bledsoe's melt down the last half of the season.

The Bills had a 5-3 record the first 8 games and 3-5 the last 8, which I guess isn't surprising considering that Bledsoe tossed 17 TD's the first 8 games and only 8 the last 8 games.

And if you want I can show you that the Bills defense improved a great deal over the last 8 games also.

But regardless the performance of the Bills defense, which performed better than the Cowboys defense last year BTW, didn't have much to do with other teams taking away the deep pass over the last half of the season and essentially cutting Drew Bledsoe off at the knees.

What we should be talking about is why, after about 10 years in the league, it took those 8 games for opposing coordinators to figure out Bledsoe was good at the deep ball.

And how he racked up 2,500 yards in just 8 games by only throwing deep balls.

Weather conditions, offensive line play, letting his weapons leave to strengthen the defense... those are some of the reasons for Bledsoe's decline in Buffalo (not in that particular order).

But I'll stop beating that drum now. At least for awhile.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

What we should be talking about is why, after about 10 years in the league, it took those 8 games for opposing coordinators to figure out Bledsoe was good at the deep ball.

And how he racked up 2,500 yards in just 8 games by only throwing deep balls.

Weather conditions, offensive line play, letting his weapons leave to strengthen the defense... those are some of the reasons for Bledsoe's decline in Buffalo (not in that particular order).

But I'll stop beating that drum now. At least for awhile.

I think it was more of a case of defensive coordinators:

1. Forgetting how they did successfully defend Bledsoe in the past.
2. Underestimating the ability of Pearless Price to stretch a defense. Up to that point PP had not done much so far in the league.

I believe it was those two factors that led to the first half of 2002.

 

[Slyster]

The Defense had alot to do with Bledsoe having a rough 2nd half in 2002. When you have to score 30 points a game to have a chance to win is tough. After 8 weeks teams had the Bills playcalling down and knew the when and where of the plays. Kevin Gilbride ( Kevin Killadrive ) refused to mix things up which led to the offense being predictable.

It is hard to have success in that situation.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I think it was more of a case of defensive coordinators:

1. Forgetting how they did successfully defend Bledsoe in the past.
2. Underestimating the ability of Pearless Price to stretch a defense. Up to that point PP had not done much so far in the league.

I believe it was those two factors that led to the first half of 2002.

Mikey, in early 2002, Kevin Gilbride had defenses reeling....it took a half season for DCs to figure out flooding the zones was pretty much the answer. I admit that O intrigued the hell out of me, especially the receivers' roles in it. They were pretty much given carte blanche to adjust their own routes,and to ledsoe's credit, he kept up with them til the DCs countered the scheme.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

after reading all this, all I gotta say is, Bledsoe is the man, and although according the recent history, there's a chance Bledsoe tanks the 2nd half, well, then Bledsoe gets it all from me, until then though, can't really knock a guy who's the 2nd best passer in the NFC

 

[MichaelWinicki]

The Defense had alot to do with Bledsoe having a rough 2nd half in 2002. When you have to score 30 points a game to have a chance to win is tough. After 8 weeks teams had the Bills playcalling down and knew the when and where of the plays. Kevin Gilbride ( Kevin Killadrive ) refused to mix things up which led to the offense being predictable.

It is hard to have success in that situation.

Exactly right slyster... defenses did figure out the offense by the end of the first half of 2002 and that's precisely why the wheels came off the Bills offense and pretty much stayed that way for the next 2 1/2 seasons.

 

[Nors]

Exactly right slyster... defenses did figure out the offense by the end of the first half of 2002 and that's precisely why the wheels came off the Bills offense and pretty much stayed that way for the next 2 1/2 seasons.

Miki can tag on Drew all he wants. He can predict how much he sucks - (he's wrong so far)


He forgets Drew took over a 3-13 Bills team with no Oline. In 2002 he was 375-610 4359 yards. 61.5% completions and 24 TD's and 15 Ints. Pro Bowler that year but he'd have you think he was a scrub.

Disclaimer to Cowboys fans reading this Miki infomercial ****

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Disclaimer to Cowboys fans reading this Miki infomercial ****

no offense, but what exactly does that mean?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

no offense, but what exactly does that mean?

Nors is saying I'm full of ****.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

that was my 2nd guess

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Miki can tag on Drew all he wants. He can predict how much he sucks - (he's wrong so far)


He forgets Drew took over a 3-13 Bills team with no Oline. In 2002 he was 375-610 4359 yards. 61.5% completions and 24 TD's and 15 Ints. Pro Bowler that year but he'd have you think he was a scrub.

Disclaimer to Cowboys fans reading this Miki infomercial ****

Nors, when did I say Bledsoe sucks?

I've always maintained that the guy is better than average. And he's better than what we have at the moment. And he's better than Vinny. Not a lot, but he is better.

The guy has what a career passer rating of 78 or so? He's ok. What I have a problem with is that people thing he's the quarterbacking talent of Dan Marino or Elway or Aikman or Young or Farve or Montana or Manning (pick one) cos he's not. He's OK... He's capable of putting on good stretches and he's capable of some horrendous games.

 

[Nors]

Miki -

half full of it. He was bad in 2003 - but you spin it like he totally sucked for 3 years and its just not true......

 

[MichaelWinicki]

that was my 2nd guess

LOL!

You have to understand if Nors and I weren't battling over something then things would be drastically wrong.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

then far be it from me to interfere

carry-on...

 

[Nors]

Nors, when did I say Bledsoe sucks?

I've always maintained that the guy is better than average. And he's better than what we have at the moment. And he's better than Vinny. Not a lot, but he is better.

The guy has what a career passer rating of 78 or so? He's ok. What I have a problem with is that people thing he's the quarterbacking talent of Dan Marino or Elway or Aikman or Young or Farve or Montana or Manning (pick one) cos he's not. He's OK... He's capable of putting on good stretches and he's capable of some horrendous games.

He's clearly not in the class of the great QB's of all times. He is a QB in the strata below. Not a HOF today - but a QB at 33 with a few good seasons and a SB a HOF.

He is on All Pro pace so far and if I'd archive February posts you would not be as kind on Bledsoe!