Is Drew Bledsoe "Good Enough"

[kartr]

It's not just the Cowboys as a team that struggles in the second half. Look at Bledsoe's stats for his career. He gets worse almost every year as the season wears on. '05 was no exception. 100+ rating in September, just over 70 in December.

Exactly. It seems that poor offensive line play follows Bledsoe from team to team and from conference to conference. What is the common denominator?

 

[kartr]

I'm working on my statistical analysis of the offense as we speak and I should have it done some time next week. Just briefly looking over the stats so far, Bledsoe's passing numbers were pretty good. And by looking at some O-Line stats and comparing them to the other teams in the NFC East, there's some decent evidence that Bledsoe being sacked 50 times this year had more to do with the O-Line not giving him a chance over him holding onto the ball too long.

From the looks at it, pass protection seems to be the biggest factor in Bledsoe's success. When he gets good pass protection, even without a great running game or superb WR's, he can succeed. I like Terry Glenn, Key, and Crayton, but I wouldn't consider them elite WR's. And while I liked Eric Moulds, Peerless Price showed that he wasn't that good of a WR either. Yet, Bledsoe was able to produce with these WR corps.

The problem is that the O-Line pass protection has to be "good." If it's average, Bledsoe isn't all that productive.

I figure Bledsoe has about 2 good years left in him. If Dallas can build an O-Line that can be good in pass protection and above average in run blocking, I could see Bledsoe having a terrific year.

Rich.......

Hello, both Carter and Vinny produced with the same OL and receivers, check that. The receivers Carter had wasn't as good as what we have now because they dropped 29 balls in 2003 which could have gone for another 300-400 yards in the passing game. Green Bays' receivers only dropped 2 balls in 2004 for a comparison.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

Hey big_neil, do you by chance own a custom made Drew Bledsoe "Fathead"?

I knew you'd be back.

I'm not bigneil, but I do remember him from BB.com until he got banned. He was a great poster and very knowledgable football fan like me.

Also his praise and love for Bledsoe might have been even more extreme than mine.

 

[kartr]

If Roethlisberger had been our QB this year we would not be better than 9 & 7.

Yes we would because he doesn't throw many dumb picks and doesn't hold the ball too long allowing him to be sacked and he doesn't fumble a lot either.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

Dallas would be in the EXACT SAME place WITHOUT him ... sitting at home watching another team win the Super Bowl.

How about this phrase, Just think where would Dallas be with a budding star at QB???"

There's no question that Drew is not getting younger....but if you would prefer Tony Romo, Drew Henson, or even Quincy Carter over Bledsoe than I don't know what to tell you.

The Cowboys are sitting home right now because they DIDN'T have a kicker, enough depth at Oline, a consistent running game, and a young defense.

Drew Bledsoe did what he could and unfortunately it wasn't enough, but if a few plays go the other way this would have been a 12 or 13 win team and we wouldn't be sitting home.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

As with most impatient spoiled Cowboy fans, you cannot see the forst threw the trees. Everybody has hung the Cowboys success or failure on the QB. What are you basing the "dinosaur" comment on? Because he's in his 30's? Bledsoe has proven he's unflappable and tough. He jumps up from every hit unhurt. He can make every throw required of an NFL QB. He should have been in the Pro Bowl this year over a guy like Vick. (I will never understand that pick) You can argue Vick can run for a first down or TD, but the reality is, even with the best running game in the NFL and his legs, he couldn't win. Bledsoe had a below average running game and a suspect line at best. He couldn't step up in the pocket at times because Al Johnson has real problems with NT's, Pettiti was a total rookie and Tucker couldn't make another team. Yet he threw about twice as many TD's as Vick.

And with those line problems, Bledsoe threw like the 2nd most yards in a season as a Cowboy? Imagine if Flozell didn't go down. Did you even watch Bledsoe in the San Diego, San Fran, Kansas City and Denver games? He repeatedly brought the team back from 14 and 10 point deficits.

I'll take the dinosaur and fix some other issues like LB FS C T first.

Without Drew, this team would have been abysmal and probably a 4-6 win team. Also Parcells would have went out like a bum.

Bledstudsoe saved this team and Parcells career this year

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

Bledsoe makes the same poor decisions that inexperienced qb's make after 13 years. If he hasn't gotten it by now, he aint going to get it. Both Rothlesberger and Hasselbeck have decent mobility and use it to bolster their passing skills, Bledsoe has no mobility and is a poor decision maker under fire to boot.

A poor decision maker that has passed for over 40000 yards? A 13 year veteran with numerous clutch performances in overtime and the 4th quarter? One of the most durable players to ever play in the league? A gritty warrior in the huddle?

Also Hasselbach is not a better QB than Bledsoe, if Big Ben wins a superbowl then I might give him his due.

 

[kartr]

Carolina and SD were not a bad defensive teams.

The Chargers were 28th against the pass. Do you really think that's a good pass defense.:laugh2:

In the Carolina game, Julius Jones had more rushing yardage than Bledsoe had passing. We against Carolina only cause of our defense and Jones' running heroics. Bledsoe threw one cheap td with seconds to go. Also, Steve Smith was ejected in that game in the 4th quarter, so Delhomme had no receivers and no running game, so winning that game and the one against the Chargers who didn't have Antonio Gates, plus they couldn't score with 4 shots inside our 20 yards line,plus the second Eagles game were all flukes. If not for these 3 flukey wins, we would have finished with an identical 6-10 season to 2004, even with all of our upgrades. Where's the upgrade at qb?:laugh2:

 

[Doomsday101]

Yes we would because he doesn't throw many dumb picks and doesn't hold the ball too long allowing him to be sacked and he doesn't fumble a lot either.

Roethlisberger was also limited in his throws he threw 268 passes an average of 22 passes per game compare that to Bledsoe having to put 499 passes on the season and an avg. of 31 passes a game. Ben had a consistant running game Drew did not. Ben had a line that played very well Drew did not. If you want to believe that the Dallas offense line played great be my guest but any one with a lick of sense and watched the games knows Dallas offensive line did not play good.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

Drew Bledsoe cannot LEAD a team to the SB...no way. However, he can go along for the ride and certainly contribute. He's just not a guy who will be a difference maker.

The only way the Cowboys win a SB with Bledsoe at QB is if he's surrounded with guys like Emmitt, Irvin, Novachek, and a better line on offense, or if we have a dominating defense.

Bledstud already led a team to the superbowl...TWICE(yes the game in 01 when brady was injured counts). So therefore you just made yourself look stupid. He is a gritty, seasoned veteran and I would be happy that Dallas has him right now if I were you.

So are you saying the only reason that Aikman won is because of great players around him too? Make no mistake Drew is a great QB, but he can't do it alone. But when you look at what Bledsoe has done over his career with so little talent around him, it's scary thinking about the numbers he would post with some real talent around him.

 

[kartr]

A poor decision maker that has passed for over 40000 yards? A 13 year veteran with numerous clutch performances in overtime and the 4th quarter? One of the most durable players to ever play in the league? A gritty warrior in the huddle?

Also Hasselbach is not a better QB than Bledsoe, if Big Ben wins a superbowl then I might give him his due.

How many playoff games has he won in 13 years,how many times has he gotten a team into the playoffs in the last 8 years.

 

[kartr]

Carolina and SD were not a bad defensive teams.

For the record, we played against seven of the bottom teams in pass defense, that's 70% and lost 4 games to those teams, so where's the upgrade in wins.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

How many playoff games has he won in 13 years,how many times has he gotten a team into the playoffs in the last 8 years.

He's been on teams that were either bad or rebuilding mode in recent years....this past season in dallas, 3 years in Buffalo, and the pre Tom Brady era in New England.

Despite these circumstances he still put up great numbers especially this season in dallas, and 02 in Buffalo he shattered many of Jim Kelly and the K-gun records.

Bledstud is a straight baller, plain and simple.

 

[Concord]

Drew Bledsoe cannot LEAD a team to the SB...no way. However, he can go along for the ride and certainly contribute. He's just not a guy who will be a difference maker.

The only way the Cowboys win a SB with Bledsoe at QB is if he's surrounded with guys like Emmitt, Irvin, Novachek, and a better line on offense, or if we have a dominating defense.

I was just thinking the same thing.

Bledsoe is the kind of QB that has to have everything just right or a great team around him to win a Super Bowl.

He's not going to lead you there with a less than stellar cast.

And although we are improving in talent obviously...We aren't going to be the 92 Cowboys anytime soon.

 

[Bledsoe4MVP]

I was just thinking the same thing.

Bledsoe is the kind of QB that has to have everything just right or a great team around him to win a Super Bowl.

He's not going to lead you there with a less than stellar cast.

And although we are improving in talent obviously...We aren't going to be the 92 Cowboys anytime soon.

Bledsoe took a less than stellar cast to the superbowl in 96, but he did have a young Curtis Martin and Terry Glenn as well.

Even most die hard Drewpies will tell you that it's not about having a probowler at every position on offense around Drew to be conducive to his success. He IS a statuesque pocket QB and needs a CONSISTENT Oline and formidable weapons to throw too...a tight end, RB who can be a safety valve and a true #1 reciever.

Witten is only going to get better, we don't know if JJ or Barber can be that weapon at RB, and Keyshawn/Glenn aren't #1 receivers at this point in their career.

 

[BAZ]

Drew threw game changing ints to both Seattle and Denver. As a result we were 9-7 instead of 11-5. Bill's trust is misplaced if he's counting Bledsoe to change his spots. He came here with a rep of underachieving and so far, he's running true to form. I understand how you feel, you want to support your qb,but can Belichek and Mularkey and all the other teams who didn't try to sign him all be wrong.

I'm not a Drew fan and I know he has a lot of faults. My question is how can we upgrade for next season though?

I don't see McNair as an upgrade at all. He is injury prone and seeing as we don't know what the protection is going to be like its a risk. Bledsoe should improve on last year.

 

[peplaw06]

Drew threw game changing ints to both Seattle and Denver. As a result we were 9-7 instead of 11-5. Bill's trust is misplaced if he's counting Bledsoe to change his spots. He came here with a rep of underachieving and so far, he's running true to form. I understand how you feel, you want to support your qb,but can Belichek and Mularkey and all the other teams who didn't try to sign him all be wrong.

Umm, let's see. Mike Mularkey lost his job. Do you think if they knew what Loserman was gonna do they wouldn't have tried to resign Bledsoe?? Losman and Holcomb were awful. Just ask the Bills if they'd like to have Bledsoe back.

 

[BigDFan5]

Bledsoe is a dinasaur

Why are we hinging our success on a never-was????

Not bashing Drew

:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Umm, let's see. Mike Mularkey lost his job. Do you think if they knew what Loserman was gonna do they wouldn't have tried to resign Bledsoe?? Losman and Holcomb were awful. Just ask the Bills if they'd like to have Bledsoe back.

If Holcombe was awful, what exactly was Bledsoe given that Holcombe's numbers were better than Bledsoe?

 

[Joe a Cowboys fan]

I think that Drew is a great QB for our team. If you look at the first 6 games of the season his numbers were outstanding. Once FA went down his numbers went down as well. If the O LINE stays healthy next season, look for Drew to have a comeback year....

I don't think I have enough years left to wait for Drew to have a come back year. So my answer to the original question is also no. Dallas has won with old guys and Dallas has won with new guys but Dallas will not win with Drew.

Nobody in Dallas at QB will win the SB until the D seasons, we get a play maker at WR and the O-line is renewed. Drew is just another place holder keeping the starting QB spot warm until some one better comes along.