Pats name Brady starter in Super Bowl
Associated Press

New England head coach Bill Belichick delayed naming his starter until he and his assistant coaches had a chance to watch tapes of the afternoon workout at Tulane University. He went so far as to ask a pool reporter not to identify who took the most snaps in practice; the starter usually takes almost all off the practice snaps with the offense.

“They both worked, and I was satisfied with how they worked,” Belichick said in the pool report.

Bledsoe was the Patriots’ starter until a crunching hit sheared a blood vessel in his chest in the second game of the season. Brady went 11-3 as a starter to help New England win the AFC East title.

Brady led the Patriots to a 16-13 overtime victory over Oakland in the playoffs, but he was hurt in the first half of the AFC title game against Pittsburgh. Playing for the first time in 126 days, Bledsoe came in with 1:40 left in the first half, threw a touchdown pass to David Patten for a 14-3 halftime lead and led the Patriots to a 24-17 victory.

That sparked the big question of Super Bowl week: Would Brady or Bledsoe start on Sunday?

Bledsoe, the first player drafted in 1993? Or Brady, the No. 199 pick two years ago who threw just three passes last year but jumped from fourth on the depth chart to bring New England back to New Orleans?

Tackle Matt Light, who has a sore ankle and was the only Patriot besides Brady listed on the injury report, also took part in the full practice and was expected to play on Sunday. Punter Ken Walter, who left the team for two days to be with his wife for the birth of their son, practiced with the special teams.

Belichick’s decision, though, may not settle the quarterback controversy for long.
There’s always next season.

Questions could linger long into the off-season as coaches and club officials consider their options: Dump Bledsoe’s big salary, explore a deal for the younger Brady, or keep both.

credits

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