Brady or Bledsoe - who's it going to be?

There's a major quarterback controversy brewing in the NFL and it's nothing like the league has seen in years.

More recently, the league has seen Jeff Blake and Aaron Brooks go toe-to-toe in the Big Easy, Jim Miller and Shane Matthews duel in the Windy City, and the old Doug Flutie-Rob Johnson debacle from last season in Buffalo.

Over in New England, nine-year veteran and three-time Pro-Bowl quarterback Drew Bledsoe has been holding the clipboard on the sidelines for the past month. In his place is second-year quarterback from Michigan, Tom Brady. The oddity in this situation is the fact that of all the more recent QB controversies around the league, none of those quarterbacks have been as successful as Bledsoe in the past.

When he had all the key ingredients to a tasty cocktail (a seasoned, future Hall-of-Fame coach, an All-Pro tight-end, receiver, and running back, and a ferocious defense), Bledsoe led his team to the Super Bowl in 1996 and was the youngest quarterback to pass for 30,000 yards in NFL history. He has seen his share of awards and honors but he also has his share of critics:

What has he done since '96? He can't win without Martin, Coates, and a healthy Glenn. He throws too many interceptions. He makes too many rookie mistakes for a nine-year vet. He can't run. Why can't he throw the accurate deep ball anymore? He doesn't step up in the pocket. He holds the ball too long. And on and on and on. Bledsoe has felt the heat in year's past as seen by the city's zeal for starting preseason wonder Michael Bishop over Drew. Bishop is now unemployed and Bledsoe has been on the sidelines watching his understudy, Brady, lead his team to a playoff push.

Since staring in Drew's place, Brady has compiled a 5-2 record and the New England Patriots are playing with a fire that hasn't been seen in a few years. For the first time since Curtis Martin and Ben Coates departed New England, the defensive players have gone on the record saying the "offense has been carrying the team." That just isn't sitting too well with the defense as a whole.

With a defensive team nucleus complied from the likes of Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, Ted Johnson, and Willie McGinest, all Pro-Bowl level talent, one would figure the defense would be head and shoulders above an offense that hasn't had a consistent running game since Martin headed to the Big Apple.

The only problem is Tom Brady has come in and elevated the offense to unimaginable heights. Backed up some efficient running from Buffalo Bill export, Antowain Smith, and a key target in Troy Brown, Brady is picking apart defenses all across the league. Just when Drew Bledsoe has been cleared to play - don't think he's going to get back on the gridiron any time soon.

The key to Brady's success has been the fact that he has won against teams with winning records such as Indianapolis, San Diego, and Atlanta. He's not just bullying the bottom of the barrel. He's playing well against some of the better teams in the league this season. The major plus for Tom is the fact that people love his confidence and poise for a second-year quarterback.

Brady plays like he's been around the block. He can step up in the pocket and he does avoid the pass rush. He can throw the long ball and he is more mobile Bledsoe.

Are people up for a change around New England? It would appear so. With the same cast of characters, Bledsoe wasn't really able to lead his team anywhere. Brady, with most of the same bunch, has been brining out the best in many of the mediocre talent around him leaving Patriot fans dreaming of the playoffs for the first time in a few seasons.

With Bledsoe just having signed a 10-year, $100+ million dollar contract, sure seems like a sticky situation for Coach Belichick and company if they want to try to move Drew in the off-season. Members in the organization say moving Drew would make them take a $6 million dollar cap hit for 2002. Sounds like a lot but this is a team with one of the lowest payrolls in all of football.

It's too early too tell and with Bledsoe only regaining 10 of the 20 pounds he lost from being on the sidelines, he still looks rather weak. He says he's ready but with the team winning, Belichick hardly seems ready to change captains of the ship. Look for Brady to bring out a fire in Drew that people may have never seen but whether or not he's physically ready to due battle again remains to be seen.

Regardless of whether it's Tom Brady or Drew Bledsoe starting, the pot is certainly starting to boil over in New England.