Bledsoe searches for redemption
Drew Bledsoe’s off-season was terrible. It was filled with sleepless nights, during which the Buffalo Bills quarterback lay in bed stewing over everything that went wrong.
“Last season, more than any season in my 11 years, stayed with me for a long time,” Bledsoe said Saturday during training camp in suburban Rochester, N.Y. “I was so angry by the way things turned out that I just couldn’t wait to get back and prove people wrong, and start having fun playing ball again.”
Bledsoe, the former Washington State University star, gets to start over tonight when the Bills host Denver to open their preseason. The Broncos will be playing their second preseason game following a sloppy 20-17 loss to Washington last Monday.
For Bledsoe, expected to get in about 12 plays, this will be his first time facing an opponent since ending last season on the sideline. That’s when he was benched after three quarters in which he managed just 83 yards passing and one interception in a 31-0 loss at New England.
The outcome reflected how far Bledsoe and the Bills had fallen after opening the season with a 31-0 win over New England. In between, not much went right in a 6-10 season.
Bledsoe endured his worst campaign, finishing with 2,860 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Chargers bank on Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson signed the richest contract for a running back in NFL history, a deal with the San Diego Chargers worth nearly $60 million.
The star back will get $21 million in guarantees in the eight-year deal.
Tomlinson surpasses Washington’s Clinton Portis, who received $50.5 million for eight years.
Gannon, Collins both shine
Rich Gannon came out throwing in his first game back from shoulder surgery and looked like his old self.
But Kerry Collins, his strong-armed backup, was the one who got the visiting Oakland Raiders into the end zone in their 33-30 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the exhibition opener for both teams.
Gannon finished 9 for 15 for 69 yards, with his longest completion a 16-yarder to Amos Zereoue. Collins directed an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the second quarter that took just 3 minutes, 18 seconds, capped by a 34-yard pass along the left sideline to Doug Gabriel.
•The Carolina Panthers spoiled coach Joe Gibbs’ homecoming when John Kasay kicked a 52-yard field goal with 7:31 left in overtime to defeat the Washington Redskins 23-20 at Landover, Md.
•At Miami, Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley battled to a draw in their quarterback competition, with both helping Miami defeat Jacksonville 16-5 in the first exhibition game for both teams. Miami reserve cornerback Korey Banks suffered a spinal injury and was taken off the field immobilized on a cart. He was hurt making a tackle in the second quarter.
•Joey Harrington completed passes to Charles Rogers on three of Detroit’s first seven plays and the Lions held on for a 27-21 victory over visiting Pittsburgh in the exhibition opener for both teams.
•David Carr completed 7 of 8 passes for 89 yards and a TD in the Houston Texans’ 18-0 win over visiting Dallas in their preseason opener, which featured the Dallas debuts of veterans Vinny Testaverde, Eddie George and Keyshawn Johnson.
•Chris Brown ran for 46 yards on six carries, and Steve McNair threw for a TD as the Tennessee Titans downed Cleveland 24-3 at Nashville, Tenn., in the exhibition opener for both teams.
•Dennis Green’s return to Minneapolis — and to coaching — was marred by penalties and a flat offense, as Green’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings, defeated Green’s current team, the Arizona Cardinals, 23-6.
•Joe Hamilton, the fifth quarterback to come into the game, threw a 12-yard TD pass to Bryan Fletcher with 11 seconds remaining to lift visiting Indianapolis to a 21-17 victory over San Diego.
•Cincinnati’s game at Tampa Bay was postponed because of Hurricane Charley.