Mo Lewis’s Hit: The Play that Shaped NFL History
On September 23, 2001, NFL history took a pivotal turn when former Jets linebacker Mo Lewis delivered a brutal hit to then-New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. This strike not only sidelined Bledsoe, sending him to the hospital with critical injuries, but it also paved the way for Tom Brady to rise as the team’s starting quarterback. Bledsoe suffered a collapsed lung and internal bleeding, a scenario that could have been fatal if he had been driving home after the game.
Lewis’s hit occurred during a late-game scramble, resulting in the Patriots turning to Brady, an unheralded backup. Brady led New England to an impressive 11-3 finish that season, culminating in a dramatic Super Bowl XXXVI victory against the St. Louis Rams. Bledsoe, who briefly returned in the AFC Championship Game, was traded after the Patriots’ championship triumph, while Brady went on to secure five more Super Bowl titles.
Reflecting on the incident, Lewis asserted in his upcoming book "Brady vs. Belichick" that the responsibility lies with Bledsoe for running the ball when he was meant to be a passing quarterback. “Had he not got outside the pocket and ran with the ball, would we be talking about this?” Lewis questioned. He maintained that, to him, it was just another play in his career, emphasizing his own role as a defender.
Despite the immense impact of the hit on the Patriots’ trajectory and the NFL landscape, Lewis displays little emotional attachment to the play, stating, “It’s really irrelevant to me." While he carved out a successful career, earning three Pro Bowl nods, the hit remains a defining moment in football history.
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