Cowboys Reactions; Bledsoe Talkin' Smack

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Benching miffs Bledsoe
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

STAR-TELEGRAM/RODGER MALLISON
It was a miserable night for Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who is sacked by Michael Strahan and benched in the second half.IRVING -- Drew Bledsoe said more than once that he would never be a backup. He even insinuated that he would rather retire than watch someone else play.

Some of that will be soon tested. On Monday night before a national TV audience, Drew Bledsoe was benched for Tony Romo.

"Very bad decision," Bledsoe said walking out from the tunnel in street clothes after the game.

When asked whose decision it was, Bledsoe said, "Bill."

And the "quarterback controversy" that began in training camp stretched its legs and walked in the Cowboys' 36-22 loss against the Giants.

It was just the fifth time in Bill Parcells' coaching career that he switched quarterbacks during a season for a reason other than injury.

There have been whispers that Parcells was tired of Bledsoe's penchant for the killer interception and his knack for holding onto the ball too long.

"It was too many mistakes," Parcells said. "Too much improvising."

In the first half, Bledsoe was sacked four times, including one time for a safety. And just as he had shaken a poor start in the second quarter by running for a touchdown, he threw an interception at the 1-yard line on a drive that potentially would have given the Cowboys the lead with less than two minutes remaining.

"The ball should have gone to the other side," Parcells said.

At that point, Parcells had seen enough.

Bledsoe's past three interceptions had come in the red zone. And this season, he has seven touchdown passes against eight interceptions. Bledsoe completed 7 of 12 passes for 111 yards.

Some of the Cowboys were surprised by the switch. The offense didn't know of the move until some of the players overheard quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer telling Romo he was in.

"During the week Tony got a couple of reps," receiver Terry Glenn said. "People were on standby about him playing if things weren't going well early, which is what happened."

But Romo's introduction was a thundering dud. On his first play, his pass was tipped into the air by Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, and intercepted by linebacker Antonio Pierce.

Three plays later, Giants quarterback Eli Manning hit Jeremy Shockey for a 13-yard touchdown, and a 19-7 lead.

Romo played better on the next possession when he completed 3 of 5 passes for 30 yards.

But his final two passes of the possession were incomplete, most notably an easy catch that was dropped by Owens on fourth-and-two at the Giants' 32 that would have been a first down and much more.

Romo did do some things that Bledsoe could not. He made a few plays with his feet, including running for 9 yards on one scramble, and scoring on a 2-point conversion on a draw play.

Romo completed 14 of 25 passes for two touchdowns with three interceptions. He hit Owens on an 8-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter.

But much of Romo's stats came against a soft zone defense after the Giants had built a big lead.

"I don't feel very good about my performance right now," Romo said.

"When you go in, you've got to perform and you've got to win."

And he flashed his inexperience during a desperate fourth-quarter rally when he tried to lob a screen pass over three Giants defenders, but the ball was intercepted by defensive tackle Fred Robbins.

Parcells said he does not know who will start next week. And Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones didn't want to talk about a quarterback controversy that is off and running.

IN THE KNOW

Making a change

For only the fifth time in Bill Parcells' coaching career, he made a quarterback change for a reason other than injury.


Season Team Players
1983 Giants Scott Brunner for Jeff Rutledge
1998 Jets Vinny Testaverde for Glenn Foley
1999 Jets Ray Lucas for Rick Mirer
2004 Cowboys Drew Henson for Vinny Testaverde
2006 Cowboys Tony Romo for Drew Bledsoe


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[johngateswhiteley]

Drew was right, it was a mistake to put Romo in. i am not saying Romo won't be better than Drew down the line...but no way in the second half of that game.

[ducks]

gee I wonder where drew learned to talk smack from maybe t.o?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Drew was right, it was a mistake to put Romo in. i am not saying Romo won't be better than Drew down the line...but no way in the second half of that game.

How can you not see that Romo was better than Bledsoe?

I mean, there is absolutely no way Drew shows that type of mobility on chasing the DB who just intercepted your pass.

[ducks]

I think that bledsoe should have been given one drive in second half
they both have issues
tuna made the mistake with going with bledsoe from day one
romo should have started from day one

just like green made the mistake of going to warner from day one

[Burn531]

Wasn't Bledsoe Tom Brady's back up in 01' after he got injured?

[johngateswhiteley]

How can you not see that Romo was better than Bledsoe?

I mean, there is absolutely no way Drew shows that type of mobility on chasing the DB who just intercepted your pass.

:lol ...man i love it, fuck the cowboys.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

:lol ...man i love it, fuck the cowboys.

:lol Slow down, I'm still and will always be a Cowboys fan...but it was nice to see Romo at least try to get the DB on that last pick.

[johngateswhiteley]

:lol Slow down, I'm still and will always be a Cowboys fan...but it was nice to see Romo at least try to get the DB on that last pick.

no doubt. but i think the DB should have given romo a stiff arm and knocked him on his ass, then taken it in for a TD. i love watching QBs get their asses kicked. like when romo threw his first pick and then got run over.... :lol ...that was priceless.

[Slinkyman]

Bledsoe is a Hall of Famer and probably top 10 QB all time no way would i back up Tony Freakin Romo if i was him. Funny thing is that Brett Favre is playing worse and for a terrible team with no chance at the playoffs and a QB behind him that's twice the QB Romo is yet Favre starts and Bledsoe gets benched, makes no sense.

[Horry For 3!]

no doubt. but i think the DB should have given romo a stiff arm and knocked him on his ass, then taken it in for a TD. i love watching QBs get their asses kicked. like when romo threw his first pick and then got run over.... :lol ...that was priceless.
Ummm, do you know he tackled the guy??? Freakin dumbass, goshhhhhh.

[johngateswhiteley]

Bledsoe is a Hall of Famer and probably top 10 QB all time no way would i back up Tony Freakin Romo if i was him. Funny thing is that Brett Favre is playing worse and a terrible team with a QB behind him that's twice the QB Romo is yet Favre starts and Bledsoe gets benched, makes no sense.

:blah ...bledsoe is nowhere near a top 10 anything. i am in shock that you would say such a thing.

[johngateswhiteley]

Ummm, do you know he tackled the guy??? Freakin dumbass, goshhhhhh.

he held on, but also got assistance from another player.

[scott]

Fuck Bledsuck, cut his ass and bring Vinny back to backup Romo.

[BUMP]

Bledsoe is a Hall of Famer and probably top 10 QB all time no way would i back up Tony Freakin Romo if i was him. Funny thing is that Brett Favre is playing worse and for a terrible team with no chance at the playoffs and a QB behind him that's twice the QB Romo is yet Favre starts and Bledsoe gets benched, makes no sense.

:spless:

[dirk4mvp]

Bledsoe is a Hall of Famer and probably top 10 QB all time no way would i back up Tony Freakin Romo if i was him. Funny thing is that Brett Favre is playing worse and for a terrible team with no chance at the playoffs and a QB behind him that's twice the QB Romo is yet Favre starts and Bledsoe gets benched, makes no sense.


:lmao

[TheTruth]

Vinny Interceptiverde!!!!

[Zunni]

Romo was no worse than Bledsoe, and he got almost no reps this week. When your line sucks, you need to go with the mobile guy, especially since he's the heir apparent anyways. The only gripe I have is that Parcells fucked up by not being decisive and doing it over the bye week with the cupcake Texans on deck for a gimme and a confidence builder. Romo has tough sledding with NY and their attack defense followed by Carolina.

[T Park]

I like how Romo threw 3 INTs, and no one bitches about HIS INTs.

Romo the better QB? It will be seen, but, if the Cowboys would've signed a Steve Hutchinson as opposed to TO, they would prob only have, 0 losses.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Bledsoe for Hutchinson

[Melmart1]

I like how Romo threw 3 INTs, and no one bitches about HIS INTs.


Um, you DO realize this was Romo's first regular-season game EVER, and that Bledsoe is a seasoned vet who shouldn't be making rookie mistakes?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Drew was right, it was a mistake to put Romo in. i am not saying Romo won't be better than Drew down the line...but no way in the second half of that game.

The Cowboys will never win a conference championship, let alone a Super Bowl, with Bledsoe at QB. This I can say for a fact.

We don't know that Romo will, we don't know that he won't, just that Bledsoe wasn't getting it done.

If Drew didn't want to get benched, he shouldn't have been throwing more picks than TDs this year. The guy is anti-clutch. He is the Cowboys version of Karl Malone. Title kryptonite.

I know there will be some growing pains, but I'm anxious to see what Romo can do.

[BUMP]

I like how Romo threw 3 INTs, and no one bitches about HIS INTs.

Romo the better QB? It will be seen, but, if the Cowboys would've signed a Steve Hutchinson as opposed to TO, they would prob only have, 0 losses.

no. we'd still give up sacks like crazy. Bledsoe is that bad lol.

[Slinkyman]

:lmao

Bledsoe has been to 2 superbowls and won 1, your boy peyton can't seem to stop choking to make to it one. check the stats Bledsoe is near the top in yards, touchdowns etc.

[Slinkyman]

NFL Alltime leaders - passing yards
1 Dan Marino 61,361
2 Brett Favre 55,098
3 John Elway 51,475
4 Warren Moon 49,325
5 Fran Tarkenton 47,003
6 Vinny Testaverde 45,242
7 Drew Bledsoe 44,311
8 Dan Fouts 43,040
9 Joe Montana 40,551
10 Johnny Unitas 40,239




NFL alltime leaders Passing TDs
1 Dan Marino 420
2 Brett Favre 405
3 Fran Tarkenton 342
4 John Elway 300
5 Warren Moon 291
6 Johnny Unitas 290
7 Joe Montana 273
8 Vinny Testaverde 269
9 Dave Krieg 261
10 Sonny Jurgensen 255
11 Peyton Manning 256
12 Dan Fouts 254
13 Drew Bledsoe 249



NFL alltime leaders pass completions
1 Dan Marino 4,967
2 Brett Favre 4,791
3 John Elway 4,123
4 Warren Moon 3,988
5 Drew Bledsoe 3,822
6 Vinny Testaverde 3,691
7 Fran Tarkenton 3,686
8 Joe Montana 3,409
9 Dan Fouts 3,297
10 Dave Krieg 3,105



ESPN.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/alltime/leaders?cat=passyards)

Tell me bledsoe isn't a hall of famer!

[TheTruth]

Bledsoe isn't a hall of famer.

[TheTruth]

Neither is Vinny Testaverde who is on all of those lists.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Bledsoe has been to 2 superbowls and won 1, your boy peyton can't seem to stop choking to make to it one. check the stats Bledsoe is near the top in yards, touchdowns etc.
Isn't that superbowl where Brady replaced him?

[Slinkyman]

Neither is Vinny Testaverde who is on all of those lists.

If Warren Moon makes it in Bledsoe should as well.

How many QBs on those lists are NOT in the Hall? Vinny and Krieg and the rest are in?

[Slinkyman]

Isn't that superbowl where Brady replaced him?

True, but the Pats were terrible in the 90's until Bledsoe turned them into superbowl contenders pretty much by himself, he and curtis martin.

[BERSERK]

The only reason why Romo was so bad in his first season game was because he spent most of it cleaning Bledsoe's mess. Some Cowboy fans shouldn't even be giving Romo a tough time because Vince Young and Matt Leinart haven't even had great games in their first season games. Vince Youngs in his first start, he had 2 int's and 2 fumbles and threw for 100+ yards. Do people realize that VY and Matt Leinhart both have much more playing experience than Romo and yet Romo threw for just as many yards if not more in one half than both of them have in complete games.


Why are people defending Bledsoe? In all his time with the Cowboys, he has not even taken the Cowboys deep into the playoffs. Bill Parcells should stop depending on his "boys" to get the job done. Bill should just start acting like a real coach and start grooming a rookie by utilizing all of the rookies strengths from the beginning. With Bledsoe, Parcells was hoping to form an offense with Bledsoe mediocrity strengths (passing ability) and hide his weaknesses (lack of mobility and QB vision).

[ducks]

tuna is a overrated coach

[BUMP]

lets look at that the top 10 list of INTs and Sacks while your at it. its a two way street......

[MajorMike]

Bledsoe has been to 2 superbowls and won 1, your boy peyton can't seem to stop choking to make to it one. check the stats Bledsoe is near the top in yards, touchdowns etc.

Correction. As a starter, Bledsoe is 0-1. He had a 14-10 lead, then threw 4 INTs, including 2 in the 4th as the Pack basted NE. When the Pats won in '01, Bledsoe did not play.


Bledsoe isn't a hall of famer.

Correct. 13 years, 1 Super Bowl loss, 1 ring as a backup, 4 Pro Bowls. That is his entire resume.

[samikeyp]

I am one personally who don't believe that stats alone gets one into the hall of fame, with the exception of Dan Marino. Marino never won a title and only went to one SB but his stats were so amazing he deserved it. I bleed Cowboy Blue but I have never been a huge fan of Bledsoe. I think he can still be a capable QB but he has reached a stage where there has to be no other deficiencies on the team to be successful (like Dilfer was on the 2000 Ravens SB champs) Very few teams, even title worthy ones, are perfect. The quarterback has to be able to adjust to any situation and IMO, Bledsoe can no longer do that. When the going gets tough, Bledsoe gets going...usually straight to the ground. The Cowboys have the talent to make the playoffs but not with Bledsoe at the helm, IMO. You might as well go with the younger, more mobile option in Romo now and give him game experience. Rarely do I defend non-Cowboy fans but most of them have been right on this, sadly so have a lot of Cowboy fans. You always have a few blind haters who are too stupid to know better or who don't even have a team but guys like Capt. Mike, Truth and Alvarez have been spot on as have I and other Dallas fans here. The change had to be made.

[MajorMike]

Good post. The day of the QB getting in just because of numbers is over. You have to be EXCEPTIONAL with those numbers. Marino is widely regarded as one of the best pure passers of all time. I don't think anyone would ever stick Bledsoe in that conversation. Getting to or even winning (which he did not as a starter) does not make a HOFer either (see Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer). Basically, you are saying if someone like Jake Delhomme sticks around another 10 years and gets 40k+ numbers he will be HOF material.

I would argue that Kurt Warner has a better resume than Bledsoe. He has a win and a tough loss in a Super Bowl, he is a 2-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, and 3-time Pro Bowler.

[samikeyp]

I would agree. Well said.

[Slinkyman]

Good post. The day of the QB getting in just because of numbers is over. You have to be EXCEPTIONAL with those numbers. Marino is widely regarded as one of the best pure passers of all time. I don't think anyone would ever stick Bledsoe in that conversation. Getting to or even winning (which he did not as a starter) does not make a HOFer either (see Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer). Basically, you are saying if someone like Jake Delhomme sticks around another 10 years and gets 40k+ numbers he will be HOF material.

I would argue that Kurt Warner has a better resume than Bledsoe. He has a win and a tough loss in a Super Bowl, he is a 2-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, and 3-time Pro Bowler.

you're a dumb fuck, Warren Moon got in THIS YEAR! So "the day of the QB getting in just because of numbers" apparntly isn't over. Bledsoe doesn't belong with Mario but his numbers and acheivements are right there with Dan Fouts.

[midgetonadonkey]

haha the Cowboys suck. I'm happy.

[MajorMike]

you're a dumb fuck, Warren Moon got in THIS YEAR! So "the day of the QB getting in just because of numbers" apparntly isn't over. Bledsoe doesn't belong with Mario but his numbers and acheivements are right there with Dan Fouts.


And you are a rude bastard, but I'm sure you mom told you that, too.

Point is, there isn't a QB in the next 5 that is getting in. Bledsoe isnt retiring, so he has to wait at least 6. He ain't getting in. I made the comment knowing that Moon was the last and there would be no more. Moon got in more because of his total numbers over the CFL and NFL. Additionally, his resume is MUCH better than Bledsoe's but I'm sure you failed to explore that. He was the 1990 AFC POY and is a 9-time Pro Bowler with 1 Pro Bowl MVP. He was a black QB back in the day when a black QB couldn't be a QB. He is in the Top 5 in every QB category. He had to work for his job. He was a CFL Grey Cup MVP twice leading his team to an unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup victories , threw for a combined 70k+ yards, is the only player in both the CFL and NFL HOF. Do a little research before looking ignorant by comparing Bledsoe to Moon, you dumb fuck.

Fouts was the original numbers meister, of course he got in you dumb fuck.

And it's Marino, you dumb fuck.

[Mad Martigan]

i feel bad for drew, he really is a quality quarterback still if only our line would have held up he would have been putting up career numbers throwing to T.O. and T.G.

[dougp]

i feel bad for drew, he really is a quality quarterback still if only our line would have held up he would have been putting up career numbers throwing to T.O. and T.G.
Our line is fine ... Bledsoe is a joke when it comes to having to play out of the pocket. He had 20 seconds in the pocket one game and THROUGH AN INTERCEPTION RIGHT TO THE DEFENDER. It wasn't even a f'in pick, it was a damn PASS!

He was a good starting QB - at this point he needs to bow out with grace and help Romo on his passing game (not that it's hurt that badly) and feed him some good field leader IQ ... Romo is not afraid to drop out of the pocket and do what needs to be done, but his habit of running to the right in the game got the worst of him.

[samikeyp]

Our line is fine

I would have to disagree....they allow way too much pressure, especially up the middle.

[dougp]

I would have to disagree....they allow way too much pressure, especially up the middle.
Would you prefer to have the line of the Texans, or a team of their caliber?

Face the fact, our QB was afraid to move - and has relied on a good pocket his whole career instead of learning to be mobile. He was facing an aggressive defense that liked to penetrate and knew he was weak if he was forced out of his element, i.e. the pocket.

[samikeyp]

no but just because the Texans line is worse, doesn't mean the Cowboys line doesn't have problems. I agree that Bledsoe's immobility has not helped but one of his biggest problems is also holding on to the ball too long...can't blame the line for that.

[dougp]

no but just because the Texans line is worse, doesn't mean the Cowboys line doesn't have problems. I agree that Bledsoe's immobility has not helped but one of his biggest problems is also holding on to the ball too long...can't blame the line for that.
Yah, and the line can't hold them for forever ... eventually people are going to get through or the safety's are gonna have some fun cause the QB is holdin the ball, a la RW playing short and eating a QB up.

[samikeyp]

exactly. IMO, unless you have an OUTSTANDING O-line....the days of the pure pocket passer are numbered.

[kskonn]

and a lot of teams have problems blocking the giants, not just the cowboys. But I agree atleast 2 of the sacks bledsoe had were from holding the ball way to long. The other 2 he had not chance, it was perfectly timed blitzes up the middle. He barely even got two steps back before getting hit.