Tom Brady Injury: Patriots Playoff Dreams Won't Be Shattered by Brady's Shoulder

Tom Brady’s shoulder injury will severely handicap the New England Patriots’ play-calling for the remainder of the season.  A whopping one play will be taken out for good: the quarterback sneak. 

In all seriousness, New England’s hopes to lock up home-field advantage and compete in the postseason will be absolutely fine.

Adam Schefter sent out this tweet today that took the breaths of Patriots fans away:

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Pats QB Tom Brady will not practice today due to his left shoulder injury. Patriots still believe Brady will play Sunday vs. Buffalo. 

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The injury occurred during a QB-sneak against the Miami Dolphins.

Now, it’s understandable why New Englanders would worry after such a report.  Unlike in their Super Bowl years, Bill Belichick’s crew isn’t winning games with a dominant defensive effort.  When they won three titles in four years, Brady simply took care of business.  But now, with a poor defense, he often has to drag his team across the finish line for victories.

But here’s why Pats fans should relax.

First, the injury is to Brady’s non-throwing shoulder.  According to Sports Illustrated, Brady had an X-ray done after the Dolphins game and it came back negative. 

No reports have been released about the Pro Bowl quarterback undergoing an MRI, but Brady may just not need one.  After all, SI used the term precautionary to describe the reasoning behind the X-ray in their report.  It isn’t like the shoulder is so jacked up that New England’s training staff is attempting to diagnose a serious injury.

On top of the fact that it’s most likely not a major injury, New England’s offensive line ranks in the top half of the league in quarterback hits allowed.  Combine that solid protection with the Buffalo Bills ranking 31^st in the league in sacks, and Brady’s shoulder won’t be in too much danger if he starts in week 17.

That extra week of rest during their bye should also do wonders.  Schefter’s report isn’t a setback; it’s not even a speed bump on the Patriots' road back to the Super Bowl.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow him on Twitter.