Brady is keeping the Pats competitive

As a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, it is hard for me to speak highly about anyone that played ball in Ann Arbor. As a fan of the New England Patriots, I cringed when I saw the Pats drafted Michigan QB Tom Brady in the 6th round of the 2000 draft. My initial reaction was "he is obviously not an NFL caliber QB if the Pats could get him in round six. Besides, he is the teams' fourth string QB behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz and Michael Bishop."

During the 2000 camp and season, Brady moved up on the depth chart to number three but it seemed there was no guarantee he would keep that job.

After the 2000 season, with the retirement of John Friesz, the Patriots added Miami Dolphins back-up Damon Huard to come in and take over as the number two man in Foxboro behind Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe himself had in August signed a 10 year $103 million dollar contract making him what many believed a Patriot for life. Things were pretty much status quo when it came to the quarterback situation.

Then something happened in training camp. To the surprise of a very few, Michael Bishop disappeared off the Pats radar. Things were so bad with Bishop, he was subsequently signed and released by the Green Bay Packers and is now searching for employment. Given his style of play you think he would be a perfect fit for the CFL but even that has not come to fruition for the former Heisman Trophy runner up.

So with Bishop gone, Tom Brady was the number three man in New England. At least most people thought that, and no one on Bill Belichick's staff gave any indication that would lead anyone to believe otherwise. Besides, the Pats signed Huard to a three-year contract at one million per year.

The Patriots were off to a 0-2 start and in that second loss they lost their all-star QB, and leader, Drew Bledsoe. I thought my prediction of Patriots in the playoffs was now just a dream and it was time to start looking at a top five draft choice.

Next on the schedule for the Pats was the offensive juggernaut otherwise known as the Indianapolis Colts, surely another loss. I was beginning to look at the schedule to see if there were any potential wins with Damon Huard at the helm. Surely, Huard would start against the Colts and not the dreaded Wolverine. Regardless of the fact that Tom Brady took a couple of snaps in the loss to the Jets, the game was over when he did. But then I began thinking, "Hey if Brady shows he has any talent at all, maybe the Pats can trade him for a decent draft choice. A couple of good games can parlay into a high pick."

What happened? The Pats beat the Colts. Tom Brady did not play a great game but it was mistake free and it was enough for the win.

Next up for Brady was a trip down to Miami to take on the Dolphins. Brady and the entire New England team were awful. The one game wonder was over.

After that performance, could Belichick actually give the ball back to Brady or will it be Huard's turn against the Chargers? Of course it would not matter, Doug Flutie would be starting in Foxboro where he only has one career loss. Besides, the Chargers were playing well. It was just a question of who would be the Patsy in this game. Belichick stuck with Brady and what a wise move that was. Brady looked like a young but mobile Drew Bledsoe in leading the Pats to an overtime victory.

Could lightning twice? Could the Pats win in Indy? Which Tom Brady would show up? In three games, we had witnessed three different players. The first, a consistent mistake free one that is very forgettable like Trent Dilfer, the second, an awful one that reminded you of Tommy Hodson and lastly, one that was putting up Pro Bowl type numbers.

The Pats beat the Colts again to get back to .500. Watching the game yesterday, I was shocked! It was the same Tom Brady that beat the Chargers! It was the Tom Brady that is poised in the pocket, knows when to scramble and knows when to pass.

Before the Patriot faithful declare Tom Brady the new QB and start crying to move out Drew Bledsoe for some picks or a running back, I think some questions still need to be answered.

Has the team collectively turned it up a notch knowing that they all must give a little extra to make up for the absence of Bledsoe? Is the offensive line starting to come together after three years of high draft choices? There was times yesterday that it seemed like Brady had all day to pass.

Whatever happens between now and the return of Drew Bledsoe, I feel safe to say that I have totally underestimated Tom Brady and what he is capable of achieving on the field. What remains to be seen over the coming weeks, however, is whether or not the Patriots have a real QB controversy on their hand.