Brady Out For Season

Yahoo Sports Michael Silver is reporting that Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2008 season. It's difficult to even wrap my mind around the idea of someone else playing quarterback for the Pats. Needless to say, this injury will deeply impact the fate of the Patriots for the 2008 season. This will undoubtedly be the most talked about story for this coming week. Rumors have already begun to swirl about the hit being dirty and cheap. I have seen the replay, and have determined that injuries happen, this play was no dirtier than Carson Palmer's injury two seasons ago.
It won't do any good for Pats fans to dwell on the obvious negatives of this situation. The players know that the only way to get through the season will be to back new quarterback, Matt Cassel. Now, we all know the story of Matt Cassel, the lifelong back up who never got a chance. The talking heads on ESPN have already began comparing Cassel's journey to Brady's. Let's get one thing straight right now, Tom Brady was the league MVP, he raised the bar statistically and threw an unprecedented 50 touchdown passes. Matt Cassel is not Tom Brady. He is not the "new" Tom Brady. What Matt Cassel is, is a serviceable backup quarterback. This guy hasn't started since high school. I don't want to downplay Cassel or dog on him in anyway, but he hasn't done much to impress me thus far. With that being said, he has the potential to lead the Patriots to a 12-4 season. The cupcake schedule will aid Cassel through his first professional campaign. Cassel already seems to have developed a rapport with Randy Moss, which will be crucial for this season to be a success. Cassel has been understudy to 2 outstanding quartberbacks, let's hope he learned a few things along the way. While his preseason struggles appear to be a thing of the past, Cassel will most likely be on a tight leash his first couple weeks until center.
For all Pats fans, hang in there. This season is not lost, and can still be salvaged. While losing Brady is a devastating blow, I believe in Matt Cassel. He can hold down the fort while the golden boy recovers.

-Brian B