Former Jets LB Blames Patriots' Drew Bledsoe for Era-Defining Injury

Former New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis — who laid out a crushing hit on New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of the 2001 season — might have inadvertently started the Patriots dynasty.

That doesn't mean that Lewis takes any blame for the Patriots inserting Tom Brady into the game and kickstarting one of the league's most dominant runs. According to "Brady vs. Belichick," an upcoming book written by Gary Myers, the linebacker was just doing what he was supposed to do — stop the quarterback.

"(Bledsoe) just signed a $100 million deal to be what type of quarterback? A passing quarterback, correct?" Lewis said, as transcribed by ESPN's Rich Cimini. "Had he not got outside the pocket and ran with the ball, would we be talking about this? Who caused the event? The person who was with the ball."

It's true. Bledsoe wasn't known for his running game. He was mobile enough to evade pressure and extend some passing plays in the pocket, but that wasn't why the former first overall draft pick signed a nine-figure contract the year prior.

"Now he's doing what he didn't sign up for," Lewis said. "He signed up to be a passing quarterback. What do I do? I stop the people with the ball. It's just another play for me. But it's a different play for him."

Sep 7, 1997; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis (57) in action with the ball against the Buffalo Bills at Giants Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK | Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images

Following the hit, Bledsoe remained down on the sideline and was later taken to a hospital. Brady, who was just in his second season out of Michigan, came into the game, eventually overtaking Bledsoe and ushering in a new era.

"I'm not trying to be an a--hole," Lewis says. "I'm on the field. I'm not a doctor. I do not know the severity of that hit. It was just another hit. I'm a linebacker. I make tackles. I do not gauge how hard or how soft I hit a person. What you're trying to do is make me see the future after the hit. I'm telling you, I'm not looking down the line. I'm just trying to stop him from getting a first down. Period."

Brady led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI — and Bledsoe, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills the following offseason. As for Lewis, the 55-year-old linebacker has strayed away from the spotlight.

Since retiring in 2003, Lewis has avoided any media interviews or Jets-related events. Teammates of the three-time Pro Bowler say it's because the league remembers him as the one who knocked Bledsoe out of the game.

"It's really irrelevant to me," says Lewis, alluding to the fallout from his hit. "It was just another play to me. To you all, it's a big game-changing, history-changing play. I've never gone back to watch the play. If people want to talk about it, I don't hide from it. But it has no importance to me."

As for what came next, then-Jets head coach Herm Edwards summed it up perfectly.

"He was the guy that actually started Tom Brady's career," Edwards told Myers.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!