On this day 24 years ago, Drew Bledsoe got injured, and we were forced to put some random nobody picked 199th in the draft behind center. It turned out pretty okay.

On this day 24 years ago, Drew Bledsoe got injured, and we were forced to put some random nobody picked 199th in the draft behind center. It turned out pretty okay.
byu/Cosmos1985 inPatriots

25 comments

  5. It’s always wild to watch these clips and hear the commentary. Brady has been so definitively the GOAT for so long that it’s strange to think of a time where he was some nobody.

  7. I was there on the near side not far from the Pats bench and the Mo Lewis hit sounded like a gunshot. I remember listening to the postgame radio presser with Belichick sounding like he just lost the family dog lamenting that they had to turn to Brady. Also was kind of weird seeing planes overhead as Foxboro was supposed to be a no fly zone. Andruzzi coming out of the tunnel with the American flag. What a day.

  8. I find it so funny that the jets brought 20+ years of misery upon themselves with one simple play

  10. Theres a lot of weirdness around this game that I don’t quite understand. In particular, people forget that Drew actually went back in the game and played a series after the Mo Lewis hit. And when Drew eventually was pulled from the game, it was reported by the broadcasters that it was not because of injury. Drew kind of sucked all year up to that point, and he was pretty awful in general after the 1999 season. So maybe Belichick had seen enough?

    Secondly, I’m not sure if the championship DVD story of “Drew nearly died” is accurate. I don’t believe anybody in a medical capacity at the time made that claim, but happy to be corrected. I suspect that’s an embellishment, although it was no doubt a brutal hit.

    Lastly, I think, to spare Drew the humiliation, a lot of the organization and a lot of pats fans like to say how great of a sport Drew was about the whole thing, having his job taken from him by the young kid, etc. But I remember quite well – Drew was fucking pissed. In one particular locker room interview I remember him passive aggressively saying “Let’s put it this way. I look forward to the opportunity to compete for my job.” or something to that effect. At the time it was a big no-no for a veteran QB to lose his job to injury. When a QB is fully healthy again, he’s back in the huddle – end of story. Nowadays I think there’s always a sense that the team goes with the QB who can help the team win. And I think Drew was livid both privately and publicly that his tenure didn’t earn him an immediate return to the team, regardless of how well Brady had been playing. Just watch recent interviews with Rich Eisen – it still pains him to talk about.

  11. Idk about this Brady guy. Sure he might be good eventually but he’s not going to lead us to a Super Bowl like Drew would. 

  12. Brady is the GOAT but Bledsoe helped save the franchise and has proven to be a really decent human over the years. His induction to the Pats’ HOF was probably the longest standing ovation I’ve seen at any sporting event.

  15. “and the Jets will give him lots of those”

    The commentator meant short yardage passes in that game, but he’d be even more right if he meant completions in general over his career. Brady ended up throwing 808 completions vs the Jets!

  16. He should have been shitting his tights but he walked on the field with ice water in his veins and went on to be the best QB we’ll ever see. Unflappable

  17. I clearly remember that game and the following week. The Patriots played the Colts the next week and I didn’t think they had a chance. “Brady couldn’t even win the starting job in college!” was my thought at the time.

    Then Bryan Cox laid out Jerome Pathon and a dynasty began.

  19. “So apparently Bledsoe got knocked around a little more than it appeared”

    Bro got killed wdym

  21. I feel so blessed to be a Patriots fan, for my team to be the greatest sports dynasty and have football success for nearly 20 years. I’m 25 years old but I feel like I can never complain about sports success again in my life (of course I still will). The post Brady years of course Ive wanted the Patriots to win but rebuilding takes time and I’ve felt content watching this rebuild happen. I hope Maye is the future and I’ll always root for him, same way I rooted for Mac and always will.

    As someone who loves sports in general, a story like Brady’s is what ties sports to real life lessons. We didn’t just win a couple times off of an uber talented roster, the Patriots found success in hard work, teamwork, trusting your fellow man to do their job. Treating everyone like equals, no person is bigger than the team.

    I love an underdog, I love “any given Sunday”. All being a top talent does is give you an opportunity, you gotta work for what you want and everybody has to prove themselves. This clip honestly makes me emotional knowing the future. When you see a guy get an opportunity, being forced into bigger shoes, all you’re hoping for is a guy who can stop the bleeding and perform to a serviceable level, you never expect to see a star be born. Every new guy I see, I think of Tom, how hungry he was for an opportunity and how this was the most important moment of his life.

  23. I have my plastic ticket holder / lanyard from some years back that I got Patrick Pass to sign during practice day after he was retired. Didn’t really put it together he was the first player to catch a pass from Brady that game. Mental to think about it now.

  24. One of those moments/games you remember. Drew was one of my favorite players growing up, first ever jersey I got, and as an 10 year old fan who only really knew Bledsoe as Patriots QB, this was like the end of the world. I knew the Patriots weren’t great then, but Drew was THE Patriots. I had no clue about anything before Drew. That crumbling to the ground. The sound of the hit. I knew then the season was over. I even told my dad that the season was def over after the game. My Dad said it was still early in the year and “that kid” almost led the Patriots to overtime. I said he was crazy. Oh about 4 and a half months later, turns out he was right.

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