Post by Lithfan on Sept 23, 2015 7:06:53 GMT -5
September 23, 2001
The Jets took the field for the first time since the terror attacks of September 11, led by rookie head coach Herman Edwards, looking for his first win. The Jets traveled to Foxboro to meet Division rival, the New England Patriots, also coming in off a week 1 loss. It was an emotional scene on the field before the game started. Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi’s 4 brothers, all NYC firemen, participated in the pregame coin toss. An American flag was stretched across the field and thousands of fans were waving flags in the stands.
As the Jets took the field, it was a scene that likely seemed unfathomable just two weeks earlier. They received a warm welcome from the Patriots crowd. Patriot fans offered up high fives to the Jet players as they took the field. For one day, at least, we were Americans and that was more important than either being a Jet fan or a Patriot fan.
Once things got started on the field, it was a tough defensive battle right from the opening kickoff. The Patriots, led by QB Drew Bledsoe threatened late in the first quarter. The Patriots marched 64 yards in 15 plays, doing most of their damage on the ground with 53 rushing yards. The Jets defense stiffened and forced a FG after the Pats had a 1st and goal from the 4,
After a Jet punt, the Patriots were on the march again, when Aaron Glenn picked off a Bledsoe pass intended for Troy Brown near the end zone. The Jets took advantage of the turnover and drove 89 yards for a game tying FG as the clock ran out in the first half.
The Jets forced another Patriot turnover in the red zone after the Pats took the 2nd half kickoff and drove 60 yards to the Jets 10. This time it was running back Marc Edwards who lost the ball and it was covered by Jets DT Steve Martin at the 7. The Jets drove 93 yards behind Vinny Testaverde in the air and Curtis Martin on the ground. Martin, who went over 100 yards on the day, covered the last 8 yards into the end zone to give the Jets a 10-3 3rd quarter lead which ultimately would be the final score.
Even though no more points were put on the board, it was an eventful 4th quarter. With just over 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Pats had a 3rd and 10 at their own 18. Bledsoe would be flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble. As he was heading out of bounds, he took a hit from Mo Lewis that would knock Bledsoe from the game. His replacement, Tom Brady, came on for the last few minutes. Although the Jets won 10-3, Brady would lead the Pats to their first SB Championship that season.
From the NY Post on 1/29/12:
“Listen, how many people had heard about Tom Brady until that hit?’’ Lewis told The Post in an exclusive interview on Friday. “If anybody knew about Tom Brady before that hit, Tom Brady would not have been sitting on that sideline that day. The stars aligned for Brady and Belidick that day.’’
Here’s how it went down, based on recollections to The Post by those involved:
“We were in a nickel or dime package and when I dropped back all I could see was Drew Bledsoe rolling out to my left trying to get the first down, and I could hear [cornerback] Ray Mickens say, ‘Mo, go get him,’ ’’ Lewis recalled. “I thought Drew was going to slide, but he never did. He stood up and tried to get the first down, so he and I collided on that sideline.”
In the New York Post article from 2012, A Jet coach that day (who requested anonymity) claimed he spoke with Bill Belidick on the field before the game. “He and [then offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis were saying, ‘We’re going to get fired,’ ’’ the coach recalled. “They were struggling and they didn’t want Bledsoe as the quarterback, but they couldn’t get rid of him because he had too much power in the locker room.’’
So while the conventional wisdom suggested that Brady got the starting job as a result of the Lewis hit, it is possible, at least according to this one coach, that the Mo Lewis hit also saved Belidick as head coach.
Why couldn’t Bledsoe have just slid?
Source: ESPN.com & NY Post
The Jets took the field for the first time since the terror attacks of September 11, led by rookie head coach Herman Edwards, looking for his first win. The Jets traveled to Foxboro to meet Division rival, the New England Patriots, also coming in off a week 1 loss. It was an emotional scene on the field before the game started. Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi’s 4 brothers, all NYC firemen, participated in the pregame coin toss. An American flag was stretched across the field and thousands of fans were waving flags in the stands.
As the Jets took the field, it was a scene that likely seemed unfathomable just two weeks earlier. They received a warm welcome from the Patriots crowd. Patriot fans offered up high fives to the Jet players as they took the field. For one day, at least, we were Americans and that was more important than either being a Jet fan or a Patriot fan.
Once things got started on the field, it was a tough defensive battle right from the opening kickoff. The Patriots, led by QB Drew Bledsoe threatened late in the first quarter. The Patriots marched 64 yards in 15 plays, doing most of their damage on the ground with 53 rushing yards. The Jets defense stiffened and forced a FG after the Pats had a 1st and goal from the 4,
After a Jet punt, the Patriots were on the march again, when Aaron Glenn picked off a Bledsoe pass intended for Troy Brown near the end zone. The Jets took advantage of the turnover and drove 89 yards for a game tying FG as the clock ran out in the first half.
The Jets forced another Patriot turnover in the red zone after the Pats took the 2nd half kickoff and drove 60 yards to the Jets 10. This time it was running back Marc Edwards who lost the ball and it was covered by Jets DT Steve Martin at the 7. The Jets drove 93 yards behind Vinny Testaverde in the air and Curtis Martin on the ground. Martin, who went over 100 yards on the day, covered the last 8 yards into the end zone to give the Jets a 10-3 3rd quarter lead which ultimately would be the final score.
Even though no more points were put on the board, it was an eventful 4th quarter. With just over 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Pats had a 3rd and 10 at their own 18. Bledsoe would be flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble. As he was heading out of bounds, he took a hit from Mo Lewis that would knock Bledsoe from the game. His replacement, Tom Brady, came on for the last few minutes. Although the Jets won 10-3, Brady would lead the Pats to their first SB Championship that season.
From the NY Post on 1/29/12:
“Listen, how many people had heard about Tom Brady until that hit?’’ Lewis told The Post in an exclusive interview on Friday. “If anybody knew about Tom Brady before that hit, Tom Brady would not have been sitting on that sideline that day. The stars aligned for Brady and Belidick that day.’’
Here’s how it went down, based on recollections to The Post by those involved:
“We were in a nickel or dime package and when I dropped back all I could see was Drew Bledsoe rolling out to my left trying to get the first down, and I could hear [cornerback] Ray Mickens say, ‘Mo, go get him,’ ’’ Lewis recalled. “I thought Drew was going to slide, but he never did. He stood up and tried to get the first down, so he and I collided on that sideline.”
In the New York Post article from 2012, A Jet coach that day (who requested anonymity) claimed he spoke with Bill Belidick on the field before the game. “He and [then offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis were saying, ‘We’re going to get fired,’ ’’ the coach recalled. “They were struggling and they didn’t want Bledsoe as the quarterback, but they couldn’t get rid of him because he had too much power in the locker room.’’
So while the conventional wisdom suggested that Brady got the starting job as a result of the Lewis hit, it is possible, at least according to this one coach, that the Mo Lewis hit also saved Belidick as head coach.
Why couldn’t Bledsoe have just slid?
Source: ESPN.com & NY Post
