Archives for November 5, 2002

‘That having been said, it’s difficult to lay what happened Sunday at Bledsoe’s feet. All things considered, particularly given the way his supporting cast performed, you’d have to say he had a pretty good game.’

‘It’s not like we haven’t seen this all before. In truth, we saw it for nine years. Give Bledsoe time, let him find his comfort zone, and he will put up numbers that reside in record books. Get in his face, and he starts looking like someone trying to run against the current. This is not some instant evaluation, like staring at a painting for the first time. This is looking at an artist’s body of work.’

‘"We were coming up the tunnel," Belichick said. "He kind of grabbed me and congratulated me. I told him he was playing really well this year. We wished each other well the rest of the way, probably not in that December game (when Buffalo comes to Foxboro), but other than that." The incident is significant because the relationship between Bledsoe and Belichick has been strained since Bledsoe returned from the chest injury he suffered last season with the Patriots. Belichick opted to stay with Tom Brady at quarterback. Bledsoe said that went against a promise Belichick had made to give him a chance to get his job back.’

‘Nielsen Media Research figures indicated the game, broadcast on CBS affiliate WIVB, generated a 44 rating/69 share, making it the most watched game since meters were introduced into the Buffalo market two years ago. The rating nearly matched the past two Super Bowls, which had ratings of 44.8 and 44.2 respectively.’

”’Yeah, it’s certainly going to leave a bad taste in your mouth for a few days here,” Moore said. ”The only thing that makes it feel better is going out and winning the next week. Unfortunately, we don’t have that chance to do it.”’