Belichick's Greatest Hits No. 12: Choosing Brady Over Bledsoe in 2001
Damian Strohmeyer. Getty Images.[Author's note: Here's a message for the ones complaining in the comments section about this series. I never address you people because I am all about taking the negative with the positive. As long as there's engagement, I've got my big boy pants on, with a belt and suspenders. Always. But what do you people want from me? What do you expect from any man who lost a loved one? I'm supposed to just move on? Forget all the good times? Just smile because it happened and not cry because it's over? If you were really concerned about my well being, you'd allow me to metaphorically look through the dust-covered photo albums and break out the home videos and not begrudge me for working through my issues. As far as the positive, supportive commenters, I thank you. And leave both sides to fight it out among yourselves. I'm going to do what I have to in order to help the healing process.]
Now a lesser man - and let's be completely honest with each other, they're all lesser men - would've put the day Bill Belichick drafted Tom Brady on this list. Perhaps mentioned that decision was the best 48th birthday gift any man ever gave himself. But I'm skipping it. Because the credit for that move belongs far less to Belichick than it does to his quarterbacks coach, the late, great Dick Rehbein, who died during the following training camp. When we're doing his greatest hits, that'll be No. 1. Today's spot goes to perhaps the toughest decision Belichick ever made.
And tough it was. To argue otherwise is revisionist history. Anyone who claims that starting Tom Brady over a healthy Drew Bledsoe in 2001 was the obvious move is just pulling a Captain Hindsight:
To briefly recap, Bledsoe got vivisected by Mo Lewis of the Jets in Week 2. A hit that looked like it could end a career, and literally could've ended Bledsoe's life were it not for emergency surgery to close a tear in a major artery near his heart, kept him out eight weeks. Which is a testament to his toughness and dedication that should never be lost in this narrative.
In those eight weeks, the Patriots went 5-3. And in that half a season, Brady played, in a word, alright. He had his good games, like going 33-for-54, with 364 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs in an overtime win against San Diego. And his bad, such as his 86 yards at Miami and his 4 INT game at Denver, both double digit losses. Overall, he had 12 TDs and 7 INTs while averaging 167.4 yards. To repeat, just alright.
On a personal note, my brother Jack was the first person I knew to join Team Brady. He had seen enough of Bledsoe and was encouraged by what he saw out of the new guy to say he never wanted Drew back. Our brother Jim was so firmly on Team Bledsoe that he resented the team (spoiler!) winning the Super Bowl without him. I was the Malcolm in that middle. I was fine with Brady to that point, but skeptical. I wanted to see how he'd do once the highest paid player in NFL history was back on the active roster.
I would soon get my chance.
Wait. Did I mention Bledsoe's contract? Please allow me to. This was before Belichick had complete control over all personnel matters. And over the 2001 offseason Patriots VP Andy Wasynczuk signed Bledsoe to a record 10-year, $103 million contract. Mr. Kraft made no secret of the fact that his quarterback was like a son to him (that would be a familiar theme). So when he was cleared to play for the Week 11 game at home against New Orleans, it was anything but a foregone conclusion that Brady would keep the starting job.
It was one of those topics that come along once in a while that melt the phone lines on talk shows, provide fodder for every columnists back when newspapers still paid humans to write for them, and inspired those cringey segments on the local news where the anchors pretend to banter about it and some poor bastard has to go out in the streets and interview commoners about that they think. The classic "Can you lose your job to an injury?" was the philosophical question of the age.
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By no means did anyone know how the decision was going to play out. Or rather, one guy did. The only one who's opinion counted. And he gave no 2001-vintage fucks about anyone's opinion but his own:
Skip to the 1:00 mark and you'll see a thoroughly unapologetic man, 100% confident in his judgment. Followed by a visibly pissed Bledsoe. And a determined Brady.
All three would remain that way.
As far as me getting my wish to see Brady with Bledsoe in full uniform on the sideline, staring laser beams out of his eyes for an entire game? This is how he responded to that pressure:
16-for-26, 73.08%, 258 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 143.9 passer rating
The Patriots beat the Saints 34-17. And I was fully in on Brady, full time. No looking back. No second-guessing. Just a full time commitment to the new full time quarterback. And like Belichick, anyone who was on Team Brady by then made the right choice, as the Pats wouldn't lose another game all season on the way to winning their first banner.
Somewhere out there in the multiverse is a timeline in which Belichick made a different choice. Or hesitated. Or left the door open for Bledsoe's eventual return. And every day I thank my Maker that I live in this one. Next up on this countdown, let's get into some postseason moments. We're running out of time here.