"BRADY VS BLEDSOE"

I remember during the 2001 National Football League season (NFL) there was a great debate that year among fans of the New England Patriots over who should be the quarterback. That year Drew Bledsoe, the Patriot's starting quarterback, sustained an injury while playing against the New York Jets and suffered internal bleeding. Bledsoe was replaced by the sixth round draft choice from Michigan, Tom Brady.

I went to most of the Patriots home football games that season with my friend John who had season tickets. We would drive up before the games and cook up some hamburgs, hot dogs, steak, sausage, and various other meat products along with downing a few "cold brewskies" as we practiced our "twelve ounce curls" to get ready for the game. We would also talk to the nearby "tailgaters" about the games and the "quarterback controversy".

I personally at the time thought that the Patriots should continue with Tom Brady as quarterback that year even after Drew Bledsoe was cleared to return to play from his injury. The reason for my opinion was based on my observation that Tom Brady seemed to make quicker decisions when throwing the football while Drew Bledsoe had a tendency to hold on to the football a little longer and thus was exposed to more "sacks". I don't remember the exact amount of time in seconds that a quarterback should take before passing the football; something like 2.3 seconds approximately before the defensive players from the other team start to penetrate the backfield and try to tackle the quarterback. I do know that professional football is a very "fast" game with all the players running around in their various passing, blocking, and running routes at the same time so the quarterback can't stand around all day in the backfield looking at his fingernails and daydreaming when the football is snapped during live action.

That year the Patriots won the "Superbowl".

As another NFL season has started it was good to see Tom Brady back on the football field after missing last year due to a knee injury. Last night on "Monday Night Football" the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 25-24 after trailing the "Bills" for almost the entire game. Tom Brady and the Patriots scored on two touchdown passes to Benjamin Watson in less than two minutes for an improbable comeback victory after a lackluster performance by the Patriots for most of the game.

The "Brady Bunch" came through when the game was on the line. Drew Bledsoe retired in 2007 after a fine career with the Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, and the Dallas Cowboys. Can "Tom Terrific" lead the Patriots to another "Superbowl Title"? Time will tell, but stealing a victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat is the mark of a championship calibre team. The season has just begun but so far the Patriots are undefeated along with half of the other NFL teams after the first week of games.