Tom Brady owns just about every passing record in New England Patriots’ history, but Drew Bledsoe still has him beat in one category. Back in 1994, Bledsoe recorded a franchise record 70 passing attempts in New England’s 26-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. While this is somewhat forgotten in New England’s 20-year run of dominance, this game showed Drew Bledsoe truly was something special.
2014 AFC Divisional Round: New England Patriots Greatest Games
Drew Bledsoe Sets Passing Record in Magical Comeback
Setting the Scene
The 1994 New England Patriots’ season was all-but over entering Week 11. While Bledsoe showed signs of promise early in the season, New England had an unimpressive 3-6 record and needed a small miracle to sniff the postseason. The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, sat at 7-2 with star quarterback Warren Moon under center. Playing at a young 38 years old, Moon had compiled 2,476 passing yards to go along with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Bledsoe had the edge in passing yardage (2,605) and touchdowns (14) but led the league with 18 interceptions through his first nine games.
After going 5-11 during Bledsoe’s rookie season, the Patriots were still looking for Bledsoe’s signature win. The 22-year old had done enough to prove that he was the future of the franchise, but they still needed him to take the next step. That’s exactly what he did against Minnesota, as this record-setting victory launched Bledsoe into the ranks of the top quarterbacks of the 1990’s.
Game Recap
At first, this game looked like a blowout. The 3-6 Patriots were clearly outclassed by the Vikings, as Warren Moon and company went up and down the field with ease. New England’s offense couldn’t do much of anything and found themselves trailing 20-0 midway through the second quarter. Warren Moon already connected with Qadry Ismail for a 65-yard touchdown and New England’s offense couldn’t get out of their own way. Bledsoe managed to put some points on the board thanks to a Matt Bahr field goal put still trailed 20-3 after two quarters of play.
Bledsoe wasn’t ready to give up, as he orchestrated a six-play touchdown drive get New England back in the game. After exchanging punts for the remainder of the quarter, Bledsoe got the ball back down 10 with 5:05 left in the game. Knowing time was of the essence, Bledsoe orchestrated an 11-play drive culminating in a five-yard touchdown to Leroy Thompson. New England didn’t run the ball a single time on that drive and gave Minnesota the ball back with 2:27 left in the game.
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New England’s defense came up big and forced a three-and-out, giving Bledsoe one last chance to tie up the game. After starting the drive with three straight incompletions, the second-year quarterback found Vincent Brisby for a gain of 25 on fourth and 10. Bledsoe methodically drove down the field, making it all the way to the five-yard line before having to settle for a game-tying field goal.
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New England started with the ball, and Bledsoe made sure that Warren Moon never saw the field again. Once again driving down the field with his arm, Bledsoe completed all six of his pass attempts before hitting Kevin Turner for the game-winning 14-yard touchdown. Just like that, New England pulled off their unexpected comeback and first-overall pick Drew Bledsoe had his first signature win.
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Drew Bledsoe and the Franchise Impact
This win defined the 1994 New England Patriots. Bledsoe had the best game of his young career, completing 45 of 70 passes for 426 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Michael Timpson had the best day of the receivers, recording 10 receptions for 113 yards. However, Bledsoe spread the ball around, as Ben Coates and Leroy Thompson also recorded double-digit receptions.
New England rode this momentum all the way into the playoff. Bledsoe’s comeback marked the beginning of a seven-game win streak which earned them a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. There win streak came to a screeching halt, as the Bill Belichick-led Cleveland Browns beat New England in the Wild Card round. However, New England built on the 1994 season to become one of the better teams of the mid-90’s. New England battled through a disappointing 6-10 season in 1995 but made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 1996.
New England never quite got over the hump with Bledsoe, but he’s easily the second-best quarterback in franchise history. Not only was this game great from a pure entertainment standpoint, but it also represented the true beginning of the Drew Bledsoe Era. New England has had arguably the best quarterback situation in football since 1994, and this game was the start of it all.
2014 AFC Divisional Round: New England Patriots Greatest Games
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
