This Award goes to a player or team that nobody expected to do well. It goes to someone that people had hardly heard of, but who has since become a hero. In 2001, Tom Brady would have won this Award. Hideki Okajima in 2007 is the perfect example of what this Award is all about.
The nominees:
The Boston Bruins
Rajon Rondo - PG, Boston Celtics
Milan Lucic - LW, Boston Bruins
Justin Masterson - SP/RP, Boston Red Sox
Jon Lester - SP, Boston Red Sox
Matt Cassel - QB, New England Patriots
The winner is...
Matt Cassel!
Duh!
If you didn't know Cassel was going to win an Award named after a former backup QB who became a star after the #1 QB went down with an injury, you're not very bright.
And as a matter of face, Cassel's 2008 stats are eerily similar to Brady's numbers in 2001. Here's a comparison:
The nominees:
The Boston Bruins
Rajon Rondo - PG, Boston Celtics
Milan Lucic - LW, Boston Bruins
Justin Masterson - SP/RP, Boston Red Sox
Jon Lester - SP, Boston Red Sox
Matt Cassel - QB, New England Patriots
The winner is...
Matt Cassel!
Duh!
If you didn't know Cassel was going to win an Award named after a former backup QB who became a star after the #1 QB went down with an injury, you're not very bright.
And as a matter of face, Cassel's 2008 stats are eerily similar to Brady's numbers in 2001. Here's a comparison:
| Cmp% | Yds/Att | TD | Int | Rat | |
| Brady '01: | 63.9 | 6.9 | 18 | 12 | 86.5 |
| Cassel '08: | 63.4 | 7.2 | 21 | 11 | 89.4 |
Of course, Brady didn't have Welker and Moss in 2001. Then again, Cassel ran for 270 yards in '08, getting 23 first downs with his feet. Brady rushed for 43 yards in '01, and 7 first downs. Brady's punting average is also 57 yards shorter than Cassel's.
After preseason, Cassel's mere presence on the roster was questioned by many. Now Patriot fans are scratching their hands in an effort to keep him around in 2009. That's the epitome of this Award.
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