The thing is that most of us are banking on Brady being injured... he hasn't missed a game since he won it all the first time. the team may be a little less talented on defense due to age, and their O-line is reportedly not in their prime anymore... so those are pluses. The cap is something they'll never have to deal with- it keeps going up, and may be removed altogether. ........this team is still a top 5 team, and once they are removed in terms of 'at the end of the season they are not a factor'-then, and only then will be Pats be just another team in the NFL.
I think that we as Jet fans are under the misguided notion that Brady;s backup is not prepared to come in and play if necessary. I have a sneaking suspicion that the backup Qb would still win 12-14 games.
The Pats backup QB right now is Matt Cassell, who has not started anywhere since high school. I'd be shocked if there was not a huge dropoff in performance if Brady got hurt. Cassell did run the scout team at USC and now with the Pats, so he clearly has some talent, but if he was a great QB he'd have been starting somewhere. He's just a superior technician at this point. The Pats did finally spend some real value at the QB position when they picked Kevin O'Connell in the 3rd round. That tells me they've seen enough of Cassell to know he's not going to do the job for them if Brady goes down. I would expect that Cassell has a 50/50 shot at getting cut this season or next.
I'm just hoping we finish ahead of the Bills, and that is perhaps as unrealistic as winning the AFC East as well. We're in year 3 of a rebuilding with no settled QB, questions at WR, an O-line that will take time to gel and defense so new to each other that they'll be wearing names on the front of their jerseys. I'd be happy with 8-8. That aside, I dare say that if an adherence to reality were a prerequisite to being a member, no Jet fan message board would ever stand a chance. Were it not for the optimism flying in the face of history, who would tune in every Sunday to experience the good times when they do, occassionally, happen?
Only one thing has to happen for us to have a good season vis a vis the Pats. Our OL and DL has to beat the hell out of their DL and OL respectively. If this happens, then it's a good bet that a lot of the Pats' other opponents have taken their que from our co-tenants at GIANT STADIUM and gotten aggressive about winning the line of scrimmage. This is the thing that will give Brady the best chance to find the hospital, and Moss to look for the training room at every opportunity.
