3. Brady's injury and the rise of Cassel

Talk about your silver linings. The darkest of clouds descended over Patriots Nation on Sept. 7, when Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Chiefs in the first game of the year. The news got worse when Brady developed an infection in the knee. But backup Matt Cassel, who hadn't started since high school, stepped in and exceeded all expectations. Though the Patriots barely missed the playoffs, he had 21 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and threw for more than 3,600 yards.
Mazz's reaction to the injury