Patriots Fans Hoping for 'Interesting'

On September 23, 2001, the first week back to NFL football after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Mo Lewis of the New York Jets delivered the blow that changed the direction of the careers of Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick and the history of the New England Patriots.

Drew Bledsoe, New England's starting quarterback and recently re-signed star, was laid out on the sideline with what turned out to be life threatening injuries. In to replace him came a 24-year old, Tom Brady - he of limited NFL experience and recently promoted through the depth charts from 4^th string, to backup.

Brady completed five of ten passes for 46 yards, and was elevated to starter. In his first start the next week, against the Indianapolis Colts, Brady threw for threw for 168 yards and began a streak of 128 consecutive starts - the third longest in NFL history. On September 7, 2008, that streak came to a crashing halt.

Less than 7 minutes into the first game of the 2008 season, Bernard Pollard of the Kansas City Chiefs took Brady down, injuring his knee - an injury resulting in Brady's being placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the year. His backup, Matt Cassel, finished the game - after having thrown no touchdowns all preseason, after having started all 4 preseason games - and went 13-for-18 for 152 yards and one touchdown. Brady has finished his season with seven of 11 passes completed for 76 yards.

For those who suggest Cassel can come in and the Patriots can be more than a mediocre team, I thank you. I don't buy it, but I thank you. I realize that as a Patriots fan, I have become quite spoiled. The 2004 season was almost boring in that you knew they would win. I was disappointed when they earned their second loss of the season to Miami that year. Last year - the "Perfect Season", well except for that game they played in Arizona last February - was amazing. Now we know just how amazing it was.

Now, in the interest in full disclosure, I came to the Tom Brady party late. I was one of the people on the Bledsoe bandwagon - looking for a competition before the 2002 season. This is why I'm not a football professional. SO, when I say I don't buy the Cassel can come in and salvage the season, it means only that I'm not buying right now. I want to believe, but Tom Bradys happen once in a life time.

I watched the mid-1990's teams with the sense that anything could happen, that MAYBE they'd win this week. I remember coming out of work one week asking myself how much the Patriots lost to the Vikings by, only to find out that Bledsoe had put the ball in the air 70 times and won in overtime. It was always "interesting." Perhaps this year will be "interesting." There always seemed to be 5 minutes left and the possibility Bledsoe could deliver the Pats to the win column. Interesting wasn't what I had in mind yesterday when I sat down to catch the game. I only wanted to wash the stench of the Super Bowl off, not the glory of the last 7 years.

Back to "interesting" folks...at best. The pendulum has swung back in the other direction - and we know from life science that when the highs are very high, the opposite side of that return trip is a bitch. Yeah, I'll take interesting.