Paul Shepard --Drew Bledsoe’s play

[CrazyCowboy]

Guest blogger Paul Shepard offers an interesting take on Drew Bledsoe’s play before and after Flozell Adams’ knee injury and sees potential for a rapid o-line turnaround with just one quality veteran signing:

The [offensive line] situation isn’t as dire as it’s been painted at times. With a healthy Flo (and Rivera to a lesser extent) returning to the mix, and a minor upgrade or two at RT and/or C, there’s no reason we can’t contend for a title in ‘06.

Before Flozell was lost for the season Drew was completing 63.3% of his passes for an average of 277.2 passing yards per contest, he had a TD-to-INT ratio of 11:4 and was being sacked 2.2 times per game.

In the ten games Tucker started Drew completed just 58.1% of his passes for an avg of 197.6 passing yards per contest, had a TD to INT ratio of 12:13 and was being sacked 3.6 times per game.

In his six games with Flo at LT Drew threw just one less TD than he threw in ten games with Tucker at LT. In his six games with Adams, Drew had two 300+ yard games (including a season high 363) and all six were over 200. In the following ten games with Tucker at LT Drew threw just one 300+ yard game (332), and only five of those ten games went over the 200 yard mark.

Drew is more than a serviceable NFL QB. How many other players who won two+ Offensive- Player-of-the-Week awards won’t be playing in Hawaii this February? Even after playing ten games with a matador at the most critical position on the OL, Drew posted Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.

We don’t need a complete overhaul. Add a quality RT and/or OG/C with our first two picks (or in free agency) along with making whatever upgrades we can at K, LB, S, DL, etc., and we’ve gotta legit shot at this thing.

 

[Doomsday101]

Guest blogger Paul Shepard offers an interesting take on Drew Bledsoe’s play before and after Flozell Adams’ knee injury and sees potential for a rapid o-line turnaround with just one quality veteran signing:

The [offensive line] situation isn’t as dire as it’s been painted at times. With a healthy Flo (and Rivera to a lesser extent) returning to the mix, and a minor upgrade or two at RT and/or C, there’s no reason we can’t contend for a title in ‘06.

Before Flozell was lost for the season Drew was completing 63.3% of his passes for an average of 277.2 passing yards per contest, he had a TD-to-INT ratio of 11:4 and was being sacked 2.2 times per game.

In the ten games Tucker started Drew completed just 58.1% of his passes for an avg of 197.6 passing yards per contest, had a TD to INT ratio of 12:13 and was being sacked 3.6 times per game.

In his six games with Flo at LT Drew threw just one less TD than he threw in ten games with Tucker at LT. In his six games with Adams, Drew had two 300+ yard games (including a season high 363) and all six were over 200. In the following ten games with Tucker at LT Drew threw just one 300+ yard game (332), and only five of those ten games went over the 200 yard mark.

Drew is more than a serviceable NFL QB. How many other players who won two+ Offensive- Player-of-the-Week awards won’t be playing in Hawaii this February? Even after playing ten games with a matador at the most critical position on the OL, Drew posted Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.

We don’t need a complete overhaul. Add a quality RT and/or OG/C with our first two picks (or in free agency) along with making whatever upgrades we can at K, LB, S, DL, etc., and we’ve gotta legit shot at this thing.

If only some of the fans could realize this.

 

[burmafrd]

the Bledsoe haters won't listen since this does not agree with their agenda.Anyone with half a brain and not blind saw the difference in protection pre Hotel injury and post. Add the kicking woes and the thinning LB corps, Henry's injury, and its no wonder we went down hill. I honestly believe that if we had stayed healthy we would be in position to challenge for it all.But thats life in the NFL these days- the team that is the deepest or stays healthiest will win.

 

[Doomsday101]

the Bledsoe haters won't listen since this does not agree with their agenda.Anyone with half a brain and not blind saw the difference in protection pre Hotel injury and post. Add the kicking woes and the thinning LB corps, Henry's injury, and its no wonder we went down hill. I honestly believe that if we had stayed healthy we would be in position to challenge for it all.But thats life in the NFL these days- the team that is the deepest or stays healthiest will win.

I think things would have been much different had Flo not gone down. I know that is only 1 injury but it clearly had a trickle down effect on the offense as we could no longer provide help to Pettitie as well as Tucker

 

[Nors]

Get Flo and Rivera healthy. Upgrade RT and maybe Center.

In draft we probably get another Big Pass catching TE and a speed WR to stretch defenses.

Our D with a FS and a few tweaks is good to go!

Bledsoe will do just fine with another big draft - especially offensive playmakers.

 

[Ashwynn]

Get Flo and Rivera healthy. Upgrade RT and maybe Center.

In draft we probably get another Big Pass catching TE and a speed WR to stretch defenses.

Our D with a FS and a few tweaks is good to go!

Bledsoe will do just fine with another big draft - especially offensive playmakers.

What the hell do we need another TE for, seems like we take 16 each offseason. I never understood the 'keep taking TE' philosophy.

 

[Doomsday101]

Get Flo and Rivera healthy. Upgrade RT and maybe Center.

In draft we probably get another Big Pass catching TE and a speed WR to stretch defenses.

Our D with a FS and a few tweaks is good to go!

Bledsoe will do just fine with another big draft - especially offensive playmakers.

I think Dallas may have to do more than just RT and Center. Allen is not getting younger and his play has slipped. I spent the last few years defending Allen but even I realize his game has fallen off and the Cowboys need to find a replacement and move on. We have got to get out of the habit of being so loyal that we wait until it is too late.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

This person argues against himself when he talk about 2 offensive player or the week awards.

That shows a major knock on Bledsoe right there. Inconsistent. He has enough "great" games that his numbers at the end of the year look ok, but he has more than his fair share of clunkers especially when he's most needed.

 

[Doomsday101]

This person argues against himself when he talk about 2 offensive player or the week awards.

That shows a major knock on Bledsoe right there. Inconsistent. He has enough "great" games that his numbers at the end of the year look ok, but he has more than his fair share of clunkers especially when he's most needed.

He is showing the drop off after the injury to Flo and the it does show and has shown in every area of the offense. Dallas offense started to struggle when we were forced to give protection to both Tackles

 

[Ashwynn]

This person argues against himself when he talk about 2 offensive player or the week awards.

That shows a major knock on Bledsoe right there. Inconsistent. He has enough "great" games that his numbers at the end of the year look ok, but he has more than his fair share of clunkers especially when he's most needed.

No it shows our Oline was fine for 5 weeks and then it shows the Oline play suffered an injury and effected both the passing game and the running game and ultimately our Defense.

Quit knocking bledsoe till we have a chance to see him prove you guys wrong (or us guys, but I dont think that will happen). WHen he has a solid line the whole year through and falters and puts up vinny type numbers, then maybe your onto something. But Y.A. Title would have looked like vinny behind our line last year.

 

[BARRYRAY]

We have line problems beyond Flo although he was a big part of it and I think the fact that Tucker needed help exposed alot of our coverage of other deficiencies. LA isn't getting any younger, we need a better center and Riviera didn't light anyone up, honestly at the end of the year was there anybody playing that shouldn't/couldn't be replaced. The 0 line is seriously meesed up, runner-up was the cratering of the lb corp.What I didn't see coming was how the 3-4 causes so many injuries to the lb's they get hit so much more by lineman, the little ones get dinged and wore down. Our line needs a total overhaul in my opinion, I mean you saw the back-ups playing they aren't even really great back-ups, as far as I'm concerned we need to churn the mess not unlike how we did the def. line last year, lots of new/old bodies, but all different..

 

[Nors]

What the hell do we need another TE for, seems like we take 16 each offseason. I never understood the 'keep taking TE' philosophy.

We have the great "blocking" TE Campbell yet can't run or protect the QB......

What TE's other than Sean Ryan late day 2 a few back have we taken?

League is going to big play TE Impact players. Put another Big Playmaking TE on the field opposite Witten and we'll talk then........

 

[Doomsday101]

We have the great "blocking" TE Campbell yet can't run or protect the QB......

What TE's other than Sean Ryan late day 2 a few back have we taken?

League is going to big play TE Impact players. Put another Big Playmaking TE on the field opposite Witten and we'll talk then........

Dallas is set at TE and we don't need another. Witten and Campbell are both good TE for this team.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

He is showing the drop off after the injury to Flo and the it does show and has shown in every area of the offense. Dallas offense started to struggle when we were forced to give protection to both Tackles

And this explains the perrenial Bledsoe second half swoon exactly how?

Look at Testaverde's numbers for the first six games of '04. Or better yet look at his numbers before and after the Glenn injury. Does that mean that Testaverde was the "answer" at QB? No and those numbers don't mean that Bledsoe is the solution not the problem either.

 

[Doomsday101]

And this explains the perrenial Bledsoe second half swoon exactly how?

Look at Testaverde's numbers for the first six games of '04. Or better yet look at his numbers before and after the Glenn injury. Does that mean that Testaverde was the "answer" at QB? No and those numbers don't mean that Bledsoe is the solution not the problem either.

It does not explain past season it does however explain what took place in Dallas which is all I really care about. Sorry if you can't see the O-line playing as bad as they did. They could not open holes for the backs and could not give much protection to the QB. I find if funny that you guys live in the past watch the damn games and most who cover it will say the same and that is the Cowboys O-line broke down. Now if you get your dislike of Bledsoe out of the way and look at what the line actually did then maybe you could see what really happened to the Cowboys offense. Some how I doubt you can do that because it is much easier to just dump on Bledsoe than to face the reality that the Cowboys need major improvement along the line and this is not a problem that has just taken place it has been a problem for a while

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Quit knocking bledsoe till we have a chance to see him prove you guys wrong (or us guys, but I dont think that will happen). WHen he has a solid line the whole year through and falters and puts up vinny type numbers, then maybe your onto something. But Y.A. Title would have looked like vinny behind our line last year.

And 13 years isn't enough to prove me wrong? He's finally going to get it after all these years, avoid the rush, play well in poor weather, not decide on a receiver in the huddle and lock onto him?


He already put up Vinny type numbers. A one to one TD/TO ratio isn't going to cut it.

 

[jterrell]

This is a nice article based on the fact there was some research involved.

Bledsoe's numbers were better with his LT than without. I'd guess that is pretty much the way it would be for any QB that played this season for the Dallas Cowboys. Flo is a top 10 LT and we replaced him with a guy who hadn't played LT before at all. Tucker, in fact, was so bad as a RT that he was replaced in the off-season and most felt he would be flat cut.

In 6 weeks Bledsoe was good but the team still made mistakes and fell short of what they needed, They lost to Oak and Wash after building a 13-0 lead. So the team has more things to work on this JUST getting Flo back but that will be a nice start.

1 thing I do know for absolute certian is the last minute comebacks and attacking offense we displayed with Flo at LT was gone with Tucker in there. The 2 minute offense became a draw play and screen fest.

 

[Doomsday101]

This is a nice article based on the fact there was some research involved.
Bledsoe's numbers were better with his LT than without. I'd guess that is pretty much the way it would be for any QB that played this season for the Dallas Cowboys. Flo is a top 10 LT and we replaced him with a guy who hadn't played LT before at all. Tucker, in fact, was so bad as a RT that he was replaced in the off-season and most felt he would be flat cut.
In 6 weeks Bledsoe was good but the team still made mistakes and fell short of what they needed, They lost to Oak and Wash after building a 13-0 lead. So the team has more things to work on this JUST getting Flo back but that will be a nice start.
1 thing I do know for absolute certian is the last minute comebacks and attacking offense we displayed with Flo at LT was gone with Tucker in there. The 2 minute offense became a draw play and screen fest.

We replace Flo with a tackle who could not beat out a 6rd rookie draft pick!!!

 

[StanleySpadowski]

It does not explain past season it does however explain what took place in Dallas which is all I really care about. Sorry if you can't see the O-line playing as bad as they did. They could not open holes for the backs and could not give much protection to the QB. I find if funny that you guys live in the past watch the damn games and most who cover it will say the same and that is the Cowboys O-line broke down. Now if you get your dislike of Bledsoe out of the way and look at what the line actually did then maybe you could see what really happened to the Cowboys offense. Some how I doubt you can do that because it is much easier to just dump on Bledsoe than to face the reality that the Cowboys need major improvement along the line and this is not a problem that has just taken place it has been a problem for a while

I agree that the line played poorly. A healthy season and dumping Allen would go a long way to fixing that. I can't see why most of Bledsoe's biggest fanatics can't see that he is part of the OL problem though.

Everywhere he's ever played it's always the same story. If we just had a better OL he'd be great. Well if my aunt had......

 

[jterrell]

And 13 years isn't enough to prove me wrong? He's finally going to get it after all these years, avoid the rush, play well in poor weather, not decide on a receiver in the huddle and lock onto him?
He already put up Vinny type numbers. A one to one TD/TO ratio isn't going to cut it.

In 13 years he's been to 2 SBs. Granted one of those years he was part time player but he did help win the Championship game so wasn't just a guest.

Aikman went to 3 SBs. Did he suck? Marino went to how many SBs and was how effective in cold weather?

If you really want to argue nonsense about a player everyone has some knock.

Bledsoe has been on 3 teams. Have any of those teams been worse after he arrived than when he got there?

How does his +6 TD to INT ratio this year make him 1 to 1? How does 248 career TDs to 198 career INTs equate 1 to 1????

Is it really so bad that you have to make up stats now?