Patriots' High School QB Outplays Jets And Their Hall Of Fame QB, 19-10

When the best football player in the Milky Way Galaxy, Tom Brady, went down with a season-ending injury in Week One, I wanted to take that knot I felt in my stomach, untie it, wrap it around my neck and jump off the chair I was sitting in. 

Why bother watching the rest of the year?  It’s over, right? 

I had my doubts about his replacement, Matt Cassel, as well.  My first thought was, “Great!  We have a backup QB who can complete 25% of his passes to our team and 50% to the other team.” 

I already knew he had the stamina, discipline, technique and poise when it came to holding a clipboard, but how would he fare against a sack-happy defense?  

Here’s the way I saw it:  Before Brady’s injury, the 2008 Patriots were like a Porsche being driven by the coolest dude in the world—just cruising along with no obstacles in the road.  After the injury, the keys to that Porsche were handed to an unlicensed teen with a blood-alcohol level of .15 who already crashed into a couple of trees over the summer.

I'm glad someone informed Mr. Cassel that the exhibition season was over and that these games now count.  I know, I know—he hadn’t started a game since he was three years old, so it’s been awhile, but I think he was up to his first task—Brett Favre and the J-E-T-S.  Uh-oh. 

All week long I kept hearing how the New England Patriots were in “trouble” and that their season was “over” before it began.  Yawn.  

I watched a couple of shows and laughed at those so-called NFL experts when they handed the AFC East Title to the Jets before the second game of the season was even played.  Snooze. 

I listened to Jets fans pollute the airwaves by calling sports radio talk shows and promising the football world that there would be a new dynasty emerging this season.  Boring. 

I received an anonymous tip that Jets head coach, Eric Mangini, was issuing X-wing Starfighters to each player listed on the 53-man Rebel Alliance roster, and with General Favre leading the way, he would take them into battle and destroy the Death Star (Gillette Stadium) by firing proton torpedo footballs into the exhaust shaft that leads directly to its main reactor (Bill Belichick’s office).  KABOOM!  Jets in first place.  Um, right.   

Even Vegas jumped off the Pats’ bandwagon by dropping their odds of winning the "Big One" from 5-2 to 10-1.  Man, I think I need a power nap.  As a Pats fan, haven’t I heard all this stuff before?

Brett Favre was being referred to as a “God” by Jets fans before Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.  I’ll bet after the game, all 78,554 that were in attendance exited Giants Stadium as Atheists.

For the past seven seasons, the New England Patriots have found numerous ways to emerge victorious.  Against the Jets, the Patriots discovered yet another way to win: with a different QB. 

For the first time in 128 games, New England played without the services of their GQ Model/International Movie Star/MVP QB, Tom Brady. 

So, how could the Jets lose this game?!  This was their moment to shine, right?  I was tempted to give Scooby Doo and the Gang a call to help solve this mystery, but what’s the point?  The J-E-T-S are C-H-O-K-E-R-S. 

It was set-up perfectly for them and they blew it.  What more could they have asked for:  11 on 9?  Casell throwing left-handed?  The Pats’ defense counting to “Ten Mississippi?”  Doesn’t matter—the Pats still would have spanked ‘em.

Imagine if Brady had played in this game?  The final score would have been 78-10.  

Favre is supposed to take his team to the Promised Land (Tampa Bay in February), and just like that, the potential SB XLIII Champion Jets are 1-1 after Week Two.  Boo hoo.  The road to Raymond James Stadium just hit a speed bump named New England. 

Quick—someone alert the NYPD or the NYFD—I’m not sure if a crime was committed or a disaster took place in East Rutherford on Sunday afternoon.  I do understand why New York is the city that never sleeps—if I were a Jets fan, I’d be tossing and turning all night trying to figure this one out, too (actually, if I were a Jets fan, I would have already stuck a knife in my eye or leaped from the Brooklyn Bridge).  

Against the Jets, Cassel did what he was supposed to do: Manage the offense with dink and dunk passes, and play mistake-free football.  Granted, Mitt Romney could have taken Josh McDaniel’s place on the sidelines with the number of conservative plays they called, but I understand why it was done. 

Perhaps, Cassel will get a chance to air it out when the South Florida Pee Wee AA team—eh, I mean, the Miami Dolphins—arrive in Foxboro this Sunday. 

I don't expect Cassel to step in and sling it all over the field like Brady did.  The Pats will find his comfort zone, play to his strengths, and then slowly open up their playbook - just as they did with Brady when he stepped in for an injured Drew Bledsoe back in 2001 (to this day, I still send Mo Lewis a Christmas card every year; I have no plans of adding Bernard Pollard’s name to that list, though).  

At 82, Brett still improvises well—rolling out of the pocket and firing strikes 25 yards down field—but, he’s only one player and it takes a team effort to win in this sport.

He did look baffled at times, but that’s probably because he hasn’t mastered the Jets’ offensive playbook, yet (or he can’t escape the thought of Aaron Rodgers taking multiple Lambeau Leaps). 

The Pats’ defense played well.  They were pretty solid against the run, even though they gave up a couple of big pass plays. 

My top two Pats defensive moments: (1) the goal-line stand, stuffing Thomas Jones on three consecutive run plays; (2) Adalius Thomas sacking Favre for a 20-yard loss (Thomas actually grabbed both Favre and running back Leon Washington and slammed them to the ground—just like I used to do with my sister's Cabbage Patch Dolls).  Fun stuff to watch—even better in High Definition.    

The Pats’ running game wasn’t great, but they did manage to grind out 104 yards.  Lawrence Maroney left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury (and a bruised ego), but Lamont Jordan filled in very nicely, as he provided a much-needed spark to the ground game.  Jordan ended up with 62 yards on 11 carries. 

And don’t stick a Faulk in Kevin, yet, as he’s far from being "done."  After sitting out the season opener with a one-game suspension, Kevin Faulk was back on the field and didn’t miss a beat.  The 32-year-old fullback showed no signs of slowing down, as he gained 119 all-purpose yards. 

Cassel finished 16-23 for 163 yards, no TDs and no INTs.  It’s a decent start.  No scratches or dents to the Porsche on his first spin around the block. 

If you compare Brady’s numbers in his first NFL start to that of Casell’s, they’re almost identical, as Brady was 13-23 for 165 yards, no TDs and no INTs in a victory against the Colts. 

A division win on the road against a rival is always a good thing, but I’m not booking a winter flight to Tampa just yet.  Plenty of football to be played.  Two down, 14 to go.