As any New England Patriots fan worth their salt knows, the fate of the franchise changed on Sept. 23, 2001, the day New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis drilled quarterback Drew Bledsoe on a sideline tackle.
Though he was briefly knocked out on the hit, Bledsoe returned to the game, but after the loss told team trainers of pain in his chest. Brought to Massachusetts General Hospital, he was found to have internal bleeding from a severed blood vessel.
With Bledsoe on the mend, the Patriots called on second-year quarterback Tom Brady to guide the offense.