Upon Further Review: Will the Patriots Survive?

It was a matter of time. Every year, at least one player has an injury that completely turns all the predictions on the heads. Any NFL forecast should always have this tagline….

“…barring injury.”

Could you imagine it? San Diego without L.T.? The Colts without Peyton? The Cowboys without T.O.? Chargers head man Norv Turner might as well book January vacation plans, Tony Dungy can figure on watching his kid playing hoops, Wade Phillips antcipated “retirement” could come sooner than expected.

But some “franchise player” injuries don’t work that way.

In a time not so long ago, a solid starter named Trent Green went down with a horrifying injury. Enter an untested former grocery-stockman-turned-AFL stud Kurt Warner. Remember that? The Rams go on to the Super Bowl. Or how about Drew Bledsoe? The cannon-armed field general goes down with a rib injury and is replaced by a 6th round pick from Michigan. His name? Tom Brady.

While we hope for Tom Terrific’s speedy recovery, we should not be quick to write off the 2008 Patriots. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t figure the Pats for a Super Bowl entry this year. The line has question marks, the defense is aging, and there are too many teams like the Colts and Chargers and maybe even the Jags and Steelers ready to blast through any opening.

By the same token, all New England needs is a savvy game manager to hand the ball to Lawrence Maroney and deliver the ball to Randy Moss and Company. Matt Cassel- the quintessential understudy- first for the likes of Carson Palmer at USC and most recently in Beantown seems to be up for the job.

I mean, would the Patriots invest three years in the man just an injury from being “The Man” if he weren’t capable? I think we know Bill Belechick better than that. Yeah, there’s a reason Cassel’s a back-up. The same reason why Mark Brunell was a backup to Brett Favre, the reason why Danny White carried clipboards for Roger Staubach, the reason why (at the expense of committing sacrilege) Steve Young backed up Joe Montana. Matt Cassel happens to understudy for one of the biggest studs in the NFL.

He’s got a great supporting cast around him and he wasn’t any slouch in relief of Brady yesterday. Maroney, Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney could make just about anybody look good. The question will be one of how well the O-line gives him time.

So- while it may be true the New Englad Patriots faced longer odds of returning to the Big Dance, I wouldn’t go shoveling dirt on the 2008 edition of the franchise.

Out of adversity comes opportunity.

Matt Cassel is getting his.