"It began as a violent but routine NFL hit, with New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis breaking free to slam New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the ground.

Little did anyone realize the true magnitude of the blow. Lewis not only rearranged Bledsoe's shoulder, but he dramatically changed the course of NFL history.

The date was Sept. 30, 2001. When the injured Bledsoe checked out, an obscure second-year quarterback named Tom Brady entered in relief, and the Patriots lost a 10-3 yawner.

The Patriots slumped to 0-2 on the season. Head coach Bill Belichick, already fired in Cleveland, was struggling early in his second season at New England. At that point Belichick's NFL career head-coaching record stood at a drab, unimpressive, road-to-nowhere 41-57.

"Some of my friends in the media were quick to remind me that it was a mistake to hire Coach Belichick," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "Obviously, I disagreed."

Brady, a skinny sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft, started the next game against the visiting Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots won in a 44-13 rout.

The New England franchise has continued to win, going virtually uninterrupted in an extended run of sustained success that places Belichick-Brady among the best coach-QB collaborations in NFL history."