Projo Pats Blog

That sound you're hearing from down south? It's gloating, and gloating of the worst kind -- New York fans and media members appear to be positively giddy over Tom Brady getting injured. We mentioned in yesterday's column that there were cheers of delight at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan while Brady writhed on the ground in Foxboro. And you can always count on the New York tabs to pile on:

Steve Serby of the New York Post writes: "There must be no sympathy for the devil when he returns to the scene of the crime Sunday in Giants Stadium." The devil, of course, is Bill Belichick, the man they hate in New York more than Brady, more than Curt Schilling, more on some days than even Alex Rodriguez. The Brady injury, the line in New York goes, gives the Jets the best quarterback in the division, and a shot to punish Belichick and his team for Spygate.

Not so fast. The Jets are certainly better now than they were last season, and their chances to compete for the division have certainly improved greatly with Brady on the shelf. But the Jets have something to prove if they are going to get out of third place -- which is the same place they finished last season. For one thing, the Patriots still have a more complete team than the Jets. They are better at receiver, better in the backfield, and better overall on defense. Favre does have an improved offensive line and some good weapons on offense, but the Jets had fewer net yards Sunday on offense against the awful Dolphins than the mostly Cassel-led Patriots had against the (awful) Chiefs.

And if the Patriots really do stumble, that still doesn't make the Jets the prohibitive favorite in the division. The Buffalo Bills made one heck of a statement in their opening day win on Sunday. The Bills are the team that should really be celebrating -- if not the injury -- then the fact that they don't have to play Brady anymore. Buffalo last year gave up 94 points in two games against the Patriots, but only an average of 18.6 points in 14 games against all other opponents.

Jets players, to their credit, are taking nothing for granted. Guard Brandon Moore said yesterday that the notion the Patriots are dead is "laughable." But they should make no mistake: The same folks who are celebrating Brady's injury now are expecting nothing less than the Jets' first division title since 2002, and if the Jets don't deliver, there won't be any excuses.

Around the league:

TOM CHECKS IN: Brady himself e-mailed Tom Curran yesterday to report that he still likes the Patriots' chances in the AFC. "It will all be OK," Brady wrote, according to Curran. "I'm excited to see what our team is made of." (NBC Sports)

AND HE'S NOT CHECKING OUT: The Boston Herald's Jessica Heslam talked to doctors who said that Brady's injury is not career-threatening.

NO PENALTY FOR POLLARD: Bernard Pollard will not be fined for his hit on Tom Brady, the NFL has informed the Kansas City Chiefs. (K.C. Star). According to very early returns from today's web poll, most projo readers agree that the hit by Pollard was not dirty.

CROYLE 'WEEK TO WEEK': The other quarterback injured in Sunday's game at Foxboro, Brodie Croyle, will not play in this weekend's Chiefs home opener against the Raiders (too bad for him, because that would have been an outstanding opportunity to get his first NFL win). But coach Herm Edwards says Croyle is not done for the season. (projo.com)

NEW KICKER FOR NEW YORK: The Jets signed former Giants and Chiefs place kicker Jay Feely after auditioning three kickers to potentially take the place of Mike Nugent, who pulled a muscle against Miami on Sunday and might not play against the Patriots. (Jets Stream blog)

STALLED DEBUT: Former Patriot wide receiver Donte' Stallworth had an MRI yesterday on the quadriceps injury that he suffered during the warmups before Cleveland's season opener against Dallas. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Results won't be known until Wednesday.

IN THE BLACK: Eleven career punt returns, two touchdowns. Not too shabby for Hendricken's Will Blackmon. He electrified Lambeau Field last night and gave the Packers a crucial play in their victory over the Minnesota Vikings, proving that when he's healthy, he's a threat whenever he fields a return. (Green Bay Press Gazette)

LASTING IMAGE: The moment that Packer fans will probably remember from the game, though, is Aaron Rodgers doing the Lambeau Leap after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter. (Wisconsin State Journal) Rodgers is taking some heat, though, for not jumping high enough.

AND IN OTHER ACTION: Is there any franchise in pro sports right now that is worse than the Raiders? Opening their season at home and on national TV (which is a mysterious thing to begin with), they were humiliated by the Denver Broncos, 41-14. The Broncos didn't even have number-one receiver Brandon Marshall, but it didn't hurt them, because rookie Eddie Royal looked like the next big thing.

OPTIONS NARROWING: The Seattle Seahawks don't know when they'll be getting Deion Branch back, and now fellow wide receiver Nate Burleson is done for the season with a torn knee ligament. (Seattle Times) Before leaving Sunday's horrible loss in Buffalo, Burleson had provided about the only highlights that Seahawks fans will want to watch. Already, the Super Bowl hopes in Mike Holmgren's swan song season must be dimming. Don't worry; we know the feeling.

SATURDAY CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH: The Indianapolis Colts, probably rattled by their poor showing on Sunday night against Chicago, may be accelerating their attempts to get center Jeff Saturday back in action. (Indianapolis Star)

TITANIC EVENT: Tennessee quarterback Vince Young is scheduled to have an MRI on his injured knee today. (projo.com)

STREAK IN JEOPARDY: Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia, who played the entire game at New Orleans on Sunday, has a sprained ankle and is questionable for Atlanta on Sunday. Also hurting: linebacker Derrick Brooks, whose streak of 192 consecutive starts is the longest in the NFL for active defensive players.

 Tags  Football Today New York Jets Tom Brady

---