New England Patriots Flashback: Drew Bledsoe’s single-game passing records under Parcells

Before the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick days, New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe and head coach Bill Parcells were trying to drive the franchise back to the playoffs.

Tom Brady was a senior at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, CA when then New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe set the record for pass attempts (70) and completions (45) in a single game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 13, 1994.

The Patriots picked Bledsoe first overall in the 1993 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he wasn’t an immediate godsend, obvious due to his 49.9 completion percentage and TD:INT ratio (15 touchdowns to 15 interceptions). But his intangibles were recognizable.

The next year, Bledsoe and Bill Parcells lost six of their first nine games prior to the legendary Vikings’ contest. Parcells, the Patriots’ head coach for four seasons (1993-1996), was vague about his long-term intentions.

The Vikings controlled Parcells and Bledsoe in the first half. Warren Moon’s 65-yard connection with Qadry Ismail struck New England hard in the second quarter, during which Minnesota accumulated a 20-point lead. The Pats were once again in a deep hole.

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Although the Patriots hadn’t scored a touchdown in 10 quarters, via Boston.com, Bledsoe turned into a gunslinger in the second half. His squad amassed 23 unanswered points and won in overtime, 26-20. Bledsoe spearheaded two possessions within the final three minutes to tie the score.

Bledsoe’s favorite wideout was Michael Timpson. He had 10 receptions on 12 targets, totaling 113 yards. The fourth-round pick out of Penn State notched career-highs in catches (74), receiving yards (941) and touchdowns (3) in 1994.

A key defensive moment arrived in the middle of the third quarter. Bledsoe was backed up inside the 10-yard line, and his offense went three-and-out. Moon then began near midfield. Certain viewers must have believed this series would break the Patriots’ backs. Wide receiver Cris Carter fumbled on first down, though, and Patriots defensive back Harlon Barnett recovered it. Nothing absolutely crucial resulted from this drive because Matt Bahr missed a 39-yard field goal. But the turnover swayed the field position battle in Parcells’ favor. Parcells had these thoughts after the game, via the AP report from the Los Angeles Times:

"“Right now, we’ve got a bunch of guys feeling pretty good,” Patriot Coach Bill Parcells said. “It was a valiant effort. We were on the ropes big time.”"

All of the sudden, Parcells’ defense wouldn’t let up more than 17 points per game, and the Patriots won six more games to clinch their first playoff berth in about eight years.

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Bledsoe hadn’t reached his ideal rung of consistency in 1994, throwing 27 interceptions. You can expect a quarterback that’s a No.1 overall pick to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and two years later, he attained that dream against the Green Bay Packers. Current Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll succeeded Parcells before Belichick ditched the New York Jets’ head coaching job in 2000 — an ensuing chain of events finalizing Bledsoe’s exit to Buffalo in 2002.