12 Reasons the New England Patriots Will Be Fine Without No. 12

Over the past few years, quarterback has become the most important position on the football field. Clearly, losing Tom Brady is a serious setback for my beloved Pats, and they'll need a strong showing from every other player to scrap together a decent season.

Just the thought of an entire year without the greatest quarterback in NFL history leading his unparalleled-offense has certainly run it's toll on all Patriots fans worldwide, both mentally and physically.

After struggling to get through my denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, I'm finally entering the final stage of grieving: acceptance.

Don't get me wrong, the Brady situation is terrible for the Patriots, the NFL, and football fans in general, but it doesn't come without a silver lining. Here are 12 reasons why I think the loss of No. 12 won't be as bad as we expect.

1. Much like Favre, the legend of Tom Brady doesn't properly depict the "true Brady."

The 2007 regular season may make it hard to believe, but Tom Brady is human...or at least close to it. Prior to his record-smashing season, Brady had never put up amazing numbers, and he didn't care to; he just did anything and everything necessary to win football games.

Since stepping in for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001, Brady only surpassed a QB rating of 90.0 in three seasons as a starting QB, including '07, when he had a whopping rating of 117.2. And, until last year, he never threw more than 28 touchdowns or fewer than 12 interceptions in a season. Those numbers are respectable, but they're not "legend" great.

The legend focuses on his many records, but what made the "true Brady" great were his decision-making skills, overwhelming desire to win, and his unwillingness to lose. The Patriots don't need a numbers guy to succeed, they need a winner.

All the statistical analysis in the world can't tell you if Cassel has the same "just win" mentality; only time will tell.

2. If the rumors are true, Brady still hadn't fully healed from his foot/ankle injury.

Giving him an entire season to rest won't hurt. Add to the fact that he won't be able to walk (so he'll be throwing from his chair), and you can count on his arm strength skyrocketing. Now, it's still not clear if Brady will have healed from his new knee injury by next season (he did tear both his ACL and MCL), but I'm willing to bet he comes back even better.

3. Matt Cassel is a very smart quarterback with a solid arm.

He didn't look great in the preseason (OK, he looked terrible), but he delivered when his team needed him (in fact, he performed better than Dallas QB Tony Romo in Week One). Cassel's been in the system for several years, learning from the best coach-quarterback combination in the league.

He will obviously make mistakes and have a few bumps to iron out, but this guy can play football. His reads will improve, and his confidence will continue to grow over the next few weeks. He is a serviceable QB, much like Brady was in 2001.

4. Three words: Moss, Welker, and Gaffney.

There are very few receiving corps that can be mentioned in the same conversation with these guys, and most of them have long been retired. Regardless of who is throwing the ball, Moss will always demand double-coverage, Gaffney will always be Mr. Reliable, and Welker will always demolish defenses over the middle. It doesn't get much better than that.

5. The Patriots may have a stronger defense than last year.

Sure, Asante Samuel is gone, but Deltha O'Neal should be more than an adequate replacement, and Ellis Hobbs has significantly improved his game. Other than starting CB, every other position is as good or better than it was in 2007, when it finished fourth overall in the NFL.

The front office spent the offseason infusing the aging defense with young talent, and their moves seem to be paying off. For example, rookie LB Jerod Mayo played more defensive snaps than any other Patriots player on Sunday.

6. Running Backs.

The Patriots had a solid running game early last year, with Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney sharing carries while Kevin Faulk played his nearly-perfect third-down role. The attack seemed to fizzle a bit when Morris was lost for the year, and it only picked up late in the season when Maroney got his groove back.

This year, Morris is healthy and looking great on the field, Maroney seems much more decisive, and the team landed a big, bruising back in LaMont Jordan. Oh, and did I mention Jordan has some of the best hands in the NFL out of the backfield? Look for the Pats to dominate teams with their running game this year.

7. Coaches.

Very few teams have a coaching staff that can minimize their weaknesses like the Patriots' staff. Just look at the offensive line situation a couple years ago: nearly the entire right side was injured. Did the Pats suddenly get annihilated at the line of scrimmage? No, they moved backups around to minimize their weaknesses and were extremely successful as a unit. Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and Dom Capers are at the top of their respective jobs. They will find a way to win without Brady.

8. The Patriots already went through this with Drew Bledsoe.

Look how the team overcame the loss of the face of their franchise in 2001. Bledsoe had just signed a 10-year, $100 million deal with the club before he met Mo Lewis in Week Two. The rest is history.

9. The Pats are one of the best at running screens.

It doesn't sound like much, but when you have a young quarterback leading an offense, opposing defenses will bring the heat. Without a solid screen game, Cassel would be knocked around more than David Carr in Houston.

10. It takes some pressure off of our players.

After coming off the only 16-0 regular season in history, the Patriots were certainly under an abnormal amount of pressure to have a similar year. The loss of Brady gives them a clean slate, and the players may perform better with this burden lifted. They are, in a sense, playing with house money.

11. Swagger.

Every single NFL analyst doubts the Patriots will perform well this year. Some went so far as to say the Jets, who won only four games last year, are now the team to beat in the AFC East.

Why? Because they have a very old QB behind an old offensive line?

The Patriots will finally have their underdog swagger back, and they have been the best team in the NFL at overcoming adversity. It's "us against the world" once again.

12. And the final reason the Patriots will be fine without Brady.

They're the Patriots, they always find a way to win.