How costly will Tom Brady’s injury be for New England?
So, the almost unthinkable has happened, and Superman reigning MVP Tom Brady may be out for the season with a torn ACL that he received in the first quarter of New England’s 17-10 win over Kansas City.
Whether or not you think that Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard’s low hit on Brady was right or wrong, those hits are a recipe for disaster, and that’s exactly what happened.
And everyone who’s a fan of one of the other AFC East teams or anyone else in the NFL who’s been messing with their Brady voodoo dolls and fervently praying to whatever deity they worship that Brady gets this kind of injury, it’s time to rejoice, and to be ashamed of your actions.
Or is it?
It’s all too easy to assume that, if Brady is indeed done for the season as the reports say he is, that the Patriots’ chances of being the team to beat in the AFC or to runaway with the AFC East yet again are gone down the drain.
That may well be true in the end, but remember what team we’re talking about. I’ll preface the following by saying that I’m no Pats fan, and in fact, I welcome a wide-open AFC East and an even more wide-open AFC, but I’m also a realist.
In the midst of all the celebrations (or the panicking, if you’re a nervy New England fan), one must remember that the Patriots have made a living off of overcoming adversity and negativity throughout the last several years. Think about it - this is something that New England has prepared for since Brady became ‘the man.’ After all, a serious injury to Drew Bledsoe opened the door for Brady to make the job his and lead the Pats to glory. And if there’s one thing that you’ve got to credit Bill Belichick for, it’s having his team prepared and focused.
Naturally, Belichick would prefer to have his star QB in there, and this is the scenario that he, Brady, or any other New England player or fan would have wanted to see at any point during Brady’s career, but it appears to be here, and if it is indeed here, then it’s Matt Cassell’s team now. Of course, Cassel doesn’t have the pedigree that Brady did coming out of college - Brady led Michigan to an Orange Bowl win and was a two-year starter, while Cassel didn’t start a single game at USC, but what Cassel has done is learn behind Brady for three seasons and get to prepare himself for such a chance.
And while Brady will assume starting duties when he returns, whether it be at some point this season or in 2009, there’s no reason why Cassel can’t lead the Patriots to success. While Brady’s presence might mean that the likes of the Chiefs get blown away, getting the win and not how you do it is the only important thing in the end, and Cassel’s in a situation where he really just has to be a game manager and play efficient for four quarters, and what did he do against the Chiefs? He played efficiently, and the Pats‘ defense got the job done in a 17-10 win.
It doesn’t hurt Cassel’s cause to have Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to, and in case we’ve forgotten, Laurence Maroney is actually a pretty darn good running back when he gets the ball in his hands, and the running game may become more of a factor with a relatively unproven quarterback at the helm.
The true test, of course, will be if/when the Patriots are in that close game at the end and Cassel needs to lead the team on a last-minute drive to get a key score. Those are situations that have helped build Brady’s legacy, and when it all comes down to it, there’s a fair chance Cassel will need to come through at least once or twice in those instances.
Then again, Cassel may not even be the guy in the end. Chris Simms is reportedly going to work out for the Patriots, and he could step in if Cassel struggles.
There’s also the remote possibility that they try to coax Daunte Culpepper out of retirement. Culpepper and Randy Moss made quite the dangerous duo during their time in Minnesota, and reuniting with his former favorite receiver could be just what he needs to get that old magic back. I’m not sure how realistic that possibility is, but it’s worth throwing out there.
If Brady’s injury does anything at all, that he isn‘t, after all, Mr. Invincible. Whether you’re a fan or hate his guts but secretly have him on your fantasy team, there are some players that you think of as almost invincible/immune to serious injury/tougher than nails, like Brady, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre, to name a few, and today provided quite the reality check in that respect.
But, will it make the difference in the Patriots’ march to being the best in the AFC East and the AFC yet again? Only time will tell, but it’d be silly on the verge of completely stupid to write New England off right now.
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