Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 BRADY INJURY INCLUDES ACL AND MCL TEARS AP Posted: 3:27 am September 11, 2008 FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Tom Brady visited his Patriots teammates yesterday, three days after suffering a season-ending knee injury, which was more severe than initially thought. The Boston Globe reported on its Web site that Brady suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's season opener. The team has not given details of the injury and a spokesman said it declined to comment on the report. The report cited NFL sources and said medical tests indicated no damage to other knee ligaments and no torn cartilage. It also said Brady probably would have surgery in a month and face a recovery and rehabilitation period of six to nine months if there are no complications. In comments throughout the week, Belichick did not specify what was wrong with the knee. But the play on which Brady was hurt, his reaction and the prognosis all point toward a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Wide receiver Randy Moss said the quarterback and reigning NFL MVP was at Gillette Stadium and the visit was "uplifting." Brady was shown walking out of the stadium with a limp but no crutches on a video aired on WHDH-TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 PASS RUSH WON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Favre, Moss: Pats still team to beat in AFC EastBY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com September 11, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - These two organizations have haggled over players, coaches, draft picks and camera positions. But a high-profile player from each team agreed on one matter regarding Tom Brady's season-ending injury and a potential changing of the guard in the AFC East. "I think the Patriots are still the team to beat 'til proven otherwise," Brett Favre said late yesterday morning. About an hour later on a conference call, Patriots receiver Randy Moss paused before answering. "I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat," Moss said evenly. "Like I said earlier, we did have a big loss in Tom Brady, but we still have 10 other guys out on that field to go out there and make it happen. Tom was a big, big, big component to executing and making our offense move, so now with him gone we just have to find other ways to make that offense move. Like I said, we're still the team to beat in this division and we'll see what happens." What the Jets expect to happen is for the Patriots to proceed as is. Meaning until evidence is presented to the contrary, remaining the favorite. Favre said the Jets certainly weren't jumping up in status. Not yet. "I mean, we're not the team to beat," Favre said. "This team was 4-12 last year. The Patriots have dominated. They've dominated this division as well as this league for a long time. One game doesn't make us the team to beat. I sure hope people don't feel that way." Yet Favre did acknowledge something obvious that - publicly, anyway - hadn't been said by any Jet. "Does it give us a chance, a better chance?" Favre said. "I think any time you're not facing Tom Brady it gives you a better chance. I'm just giving him the respect he deserves. The guy has been outstanding, as good as anyone that's ever played the game. Matt Cassel played great the other day when he came in. They assume he will do that. But Tom Brady is Tom Brady. So that does give us a better chance." But not a guarantee, and the Jets assume Cassel will play at least as well as he did Sunday, when he entered in the first quarter and went 13-for-18 for 152 yards with a touchdown in a 17-10 victory over the Chiefs. "You have to understand he has been tutored under Brady for four years and they have a great coach," said defensive end Shaun Ellis, who had four tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries against the Dolphins. "Some of the things he knows he [learned] from Brady." Cassel looked Brady-esque in throwing a 51-yard pass to Moss from his end zone. The receiver said that although things may be tweaked here and there, the Patriots' offensive philosophy isn't suddenly going to change. Not with receivers such as Moss and Wes Welker and backs such as Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris. "I don't know if this offense can be conservative," Moss said. "We can score in many ways; if it's the run, play-action, dropback, whatever it may be." At the same time, asked to name some of Cassel's strengths, Moss couldn't. "I don't really know," he said. "I don't really want to get into that because I am used to working with Tom. [Cassel] has a great upside." None of which is Favre's primary concern. Somewhat ignored the past few days is that the Patriots' defense is still very much intact, and that most of an 18-1 team returned. "They still have a lot of great players," Favre said. "Bill Belichick is one of the best, if not the best coach in football right now. I don't see how people can say we're the team to beat. "I think we have a better chance given the circumstances, but we still have a long ways to go." SUNDAY Patriots at Jets 4:15 p.m. TV: Ch. 2 Radio: WEPN (1050), WABC (770), WRCN (103.9) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 TIME FOR JETS TO PROVE THEY ARE TEAM TO BEAT PROVE IT! Coach Bill Belichick and the Pats will have to beat Brett Favre (above) and the Jets without QB Tom Brady. Posted: 3:27 am September 11, 2008 RANDY Moss was asked if the JetsNew York Jets were now the team to beat now that Matt Cassel will be throwing to him, and Moss said: "I think the New England Patriots have won this division over the last couple of years, so I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat. We did have a big loss in Tom Brady, but we still have 10 other guys on the field to go out and make it happen." Now if I'm Eric Mangini, I am circulating that quote in the team meeting this morning, and plastering it all over every available bulletin board at the Jets' spanking new facility in Florham Park, N.J. Because this is, for all intents and purposes, what it should mean to all of them: They've lost Tom Brady and they still think they can beat us? With Matt Cassel? What does that say about us? They asked Brett Favre the same question at his press conference about an hour earlier and he said: "I think the Patriots are still the team to beat until proven otherwise. We're not the team to beat; this team was 4-12 last year. The Patriots have dominated this division, as well as this league, for a long time. One game doesn't make us the team to beat. I think any time you're not facing Tom Brady it gives you a better chance." Favre has been around the block long enough to know it is always advisable to let a sleeping dog lie. Besides, the guy has played exactly one game with his new team in his new town, and his 38-year-old head is still swimming in an ocean of new terminology. This is hardly the time to go Namath on the AFC East. And hey, "talk is cheap play the game" sure worked for Tom Coughlin and the GiantsNew York Giants last year, didn't it? The Jets are the team to beat because they suddenly have an overwhelming advantage over the Patriots - and over the Bills - at the single most important position on the field. Whether he likes it or not, the expectations, already lofty the second he arrived at City Hall, have made a Lambeau Leap, to the Super Bowl heavens, for Favre. This isn't Favre versus Brady anymore: It's Favre versus Favre, and Favre versus Bill Belichick. The Jets brought him here to win both of those battles. To overcome the self-doubt and fear of failure that imperils everyone who comes in contact with Father Time, and to overcome the diabolical genius of a legendary coach who will stop at nothing to win his fourth Super Bowl championship. It is up to Favre, more than anyone, to show New York, to show Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, that the Patriots are now dead champs walking. Over the offseason, the Patriots lost their best cornerback, Asante Samuels, to the Eagles, and now their legendary franchise quarterback. The Jets have added Alan Faneca and Damien Woody to their offensive line, OLB Calvin Pace and NT Kris Jenkins and rookie CB Dwight Lowery to their defense, and, of course, Brett Favre. "We know the show must go on," said Moss, who was limited in practice yesterday (back). On Sunday afternoon, it will be time for the Jets to show the Patriots that there is a new sheriff in town, that they are now the team to beat. Here is how Moss described the Patriot reaction when Brady crumpled to the ground clutching his left knee: "It's like taking the air out of the balloon. When Tom went down, everything got quiet. Guys were looking at each other with deer-in-the-headlight eyes." Belichick will not allow woe-is-us to enter his locker room. You just know he's appealing to his players' immense pride now that so many are so eager to write them off. " Guys get motivated differently, Moss said. "When you put it on the team as a whole, we as a whole unit are not gonna do something, that can motivate us." Moss called on every last Patriot to step up his game now that there is so little margin for error. "I'm not going to let something like this get me down, knowing we still have a lot of football to be played," Moss said. "The best thing I can do is get open and catch the ball and score touchdowns. I'm not gonna let anything slow me down." Admirable attitude. But Cassel is his king. "He has a great upside," Moss said. Upside? It is time for the Jets to smack Cassel and the Patriots upside the head. It is what the team to beat is supposed to do. steve.serby@nypost.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Jets' Favre: Freak injury never far awayBY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com September 11, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Brett Favre saw the replay of the play that ended Tom Brady's season and had this thought: "It could have happened to me," said Favre, who has made 254 consecutive regular-season starts, a record for quarterbacks. "I've come close numerous times, not only with my legs. Fingers ... Just never know." Brady made his 111th consecutive start Sunday before getting hurt when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard hit his left knee. "Tom has been so tough throughout his whole career, has taken a lot of hits," Favre said. "Just goes to show you, you never know. I know he knows that. I know we all know that. It was just a freak thing." Covering all bases A question posed to Patriots coach Bill Belichick: Have you seen a change in the Jets' system, a change in Brett Favre, or has there not been enough time to evaluate that? Answer: "No. I think from what we've seen, offensively, in some respects the Jets are doing a little bit less than what they did last year. In some respects they're doing a little bit more and in some respects, I think, they are doing some of the same things. They are just doing [them] a little bit differently." That clears it up. Feely officially in The Jets announced a move they made late Monday afternoon, the signing of K Jay Feely. They waived LB Kenwin Cummings. They also waived OL Stanley Daniels and WR Larry Brackins from the practice squad and added OL Stefan Rodgers and TE Brad Listorti. Injury report DB David Barrett (shoulder), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), DE Shaun Ellis (hand), WR Marcus Henry (calf) and DB Justin Miller (foot) were limited in practice for the Jets. WR Sam Aiken (knee) and TE Ben Watson (knee) did not practice for the Patriots. WRs Jabar Gaffney (knee) and Randy Moss (back) were limited ... The Patriots signed QB Matt Gutierrez to the practice squad and could activate him for Sunday's game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Suddenly, Favre and Jets have healthy chanceJohnette Howard September 11, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. If Jets quarterback Brett Favre thought his life was upended when the Green Bay Packers ran him off six weeks ago, consider what he's confronted with now. Nobody in the AFC saw their life pivot as much as Favre did when the Patriots lost quarterback Tom Brady Sunday to a season-ending knee injury while the Jets were beating Miami. All of a sudden Favre - not Patriots career backup Matt Cassel, silly - is the guy who is expected to pull off everything that Brady was going to do. Favre is supposed to go win the AFC East, get his team to the conference title game, maybe even the Super Bowl. The Jets have gone from win now to win it all. "Well, I mean ... We've only won one game here," a low-key Favre reminded everyone yesterday during his weekly talk with the press. Anyone looking for Favre to play the swaggering gunslinger or act like the second coming of Joe Namath went away disappointed. Favre left it to Patriots receiver Randy Moss to give everyone the headline of the day: "We're still the team to beat," Moss said. But Moss is supposed to say that. And anyway, he didn't volunteer it. Someone asked Moss a question and Moss answered the only way he could without disappointing his own locker room. Johnette Howard Bio | E-mail | Recent columns Favre agreed with Moss, too, for what that's worth. But you have to believe it's different behind the scenes among the Jets as they prepare for New England's visit Sunday in what promises to be an electric home opener at Giants Stadium. A season that had the potential to be a nice little fairy-tale for Favre - Spurned Hall of Famer Leads Jets on Storybook Season, The NFL's Peter Pan Gets One Last Hurrah - has been ratcheted up into something less negotiable now that Brady is out. With Brady, the Patriots were the NFL's Goliath. And Favre, a 38-year-old greybeard who was cast off by Green Bay after he'd given the team so much, was cast as the Jets' David, the man with a slingshot arm. To some people he was the underdog in this fight. Or a sentimental story. Before Brady's injury, the best-case scenario was Favre might finally enable the overhauled Jets to challenge New England for the division, make the playoffs at worst, then see what happens from there. And if Favre fell short, it at least promised to be a hell of a ride, right? It still does. But there were a lot of "ifs" attached to the Jets' prospects before. And now there aren't, especially if the Jets spank the Patriots Sunday. Brady has been the dominant player of his generation. In a blink, the Jets have a huge edge over the Patriots at the most important position on the field for the first time in a decade. In Favre, the Jets also have the best healthy quarterback in the AFC right now. And the other three teams generally considered the AFC's best after the Pats all have their own problems. Sore-kneed Peyton Manning and the Colts lost to Chicago, tight end Dallas Clark and center Jeff Saturday are injured. San Diego was jolted by Carolina and lost star linebacker Shawne Merriman for the season. Jacksonville is fighting injuries, too. Only Pittsburgh and the Jets leaped up. Favre was right to stress the Jets barely beat Miami. But there was also a lot to like about the Jets' opening win. So many of their newcomers, not just Favre, were big contributors. And after the mechanical dinks and swing passes we've been used to from the Jets, you had to smile at the sight of Favre throwing downfield and escaping the rush. It was an enticing glimpse of how much more could come once he gets totally comfortable. "He sees everything," marveled Jets receiver Chansi Stuckey. "I don't know how, but he does." New England has shown over the years it can win no matter what gets in its way. (Jets fans' dislike for Bill Belichick is exceeded only by their fear of him. Especially in dire situations.) But the Patriots have also never had to overcome a double whammy like this: Brady's loss, and the presence of a Hall of Fame quarterback like Favre in their division. So we'll see. If New England somehow beats the Jets Sunday, all the air rushes out of the Jets' balloon, at least for a week. But if the Jets win, and if they romp, fire up the bandwagon. Cancel all your Sunday engagements this fall. Brady's out. Favre's in. And nothing's impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Jets still wary of Brady-less Pats By Jane McManus The Journal News • September 11, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Randy Moss saw the fear when he looked around the New England sideline as Tom Brady was helped off the field. The players had that deer-in-the-headlights look, seemingly unable to process what was undeniable - their quarterback might not be getting back on the field for a very long time. "You could just really see everybody was really stuck in the moment like, 'Is this happening?' " Moss said. Yes, it was. That injury to a two-time Super Bowl MVP - who was in the Patriots' locker room yesterday despite his injury - has perhaps rearranged the chairs at the NFL table. "It was a freak thing, it really was," said Jets quarterback Brett Favre, who added to his league record for quarterbacks by starting in his 277th consecutive game this past Sunday against the Dolphins. "It could have happened to me. I've come close numerous times, not only with my legs, fingers. You never know." It has been three days since the hit ruined Brady's knee. Three days for the Jets to try to reevaluate the team they will face Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at home. Three days for pundits around the NFL to try to fill the space left by a Patriots team that went 18-0 last season before losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. "The New England Patriots have won this division (AFC East) for the last couple of years, so I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat," Moss said. Yesterday at Jets camp, coach Eric Mangini and many of the players who work for him said they weren't letting their guard down just yet. Mangini said the Jets would prepare as they do every week, to win the game on their own merits. "We don't really go into the season with the mind-set of, hey, we're playing for second place here," Mangini said. "That's never really the approach." As for what will happen this week in practice, Mangini and his counterpart, Bill Belichick, are two of the most tight-lipped coaches in the NFL. But the fact that Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel was able to take over in the first quarter and ultimately lead the team to a win says something. His performance - 13 for 18 passing for 152 yards - will be looked at closely this week. "There have been some situations where we've had to prepare for two guys when you don't know who's starting," Mangini said, "or this situation where most of the film is preseason-based. You get half a game, three-quarters of a game there with Kansas City." The Jets yesterday shored up their personnel at place-kicker, signing Jay Feely to replace Mike Nugent, who sustained a left thigh injury in the second kickoff of the game. It was a costly loss, and forced Favre to attempt a pass on fourth-and-13 from the Miami 22 - field position that would warrant a field-goal attempt had Nugent been available. Instead, it led to an amazing touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey. But Favre cautioned against revising Jets expectations upward, even when the Pats won't have Brady. "I think the Patriots are still the team to beat until proven otherwise," Favre said. "We won one game. We barely beat Miami." Jerricho Cotchery, who caught a 56-yard touchdown pass last Sunday, one of two thrown by Favre, said he thinks the Jets' new quarterback is up to playing the Patriots, a team he didn't see all that often while at Green Bay. "He has seen a lot of defenses and a lot of things throughout his career," Cotchery said. "If something surprises him, I will be surprised. They always do certain things as far as game-planning against certain teams. We should be expecting something different. It's going to be a tough one." Note: In addition to Feely, the Jets also signed tackle Stefan Rodgers and tight end Brad Listorti, and waived linebacker Kenwin Cummings, guard Stanley Daniels and wide receiver Larry Brackens. Reach Jane McManus at jmcmanus@lohud.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Jets notes Thursday, September 11, 2008 Extension for Baker Tight end Chris Baker, who is in the third year of a four-year contract worth $6.6 million, has signed a contract extension, a team spokesman confirmed Wednesday night. The deal is reportedly for another three years, although the team wouldn't discuss any details. Baker, who had a career-high 41 receptions last season, was scheduled to make $683,500 this season and boycotted voluntary practices in the spring because he was unhappy with that deal, but hasn't talked about his contract situation since late July, at which time he indicated he was optimistic that something could be worked out. Feely set for Sunday Jay Feely might need directions to the Jets' home locker room Sunday, but he knows how to navigate the rest of Giants Stadium, particularly the often-swirling winds around the field. Feely, signed by the Jets on Monday night, kicked for the Giants in 2005 and 2006. He will kick for the Jets against New England on Sunday. Mike Nugent is out with a strained right thigh. "I feel comfortable there," Feely said of the Meadowlands. "I studied it a lot when I was with the Giants and we were in there every day kicking. You learn the winds. You learn how to kick the ball." He converted 28 of 35 field-goal attempts in home games during his two years with the Giants, and was 21-for-23 for Miami last season, yet was released by the Dolphins last month after missing a preseason game with a groin injury. Briefs Five Jets practiced on a limited basis Wednesday - defensive back David Barrett (shoulder), wide receiver Laveranues Coles (thigh), defensive end Shaun Ellis (hand), wide receiver Marcus Henry (calf) and cornerback Justin Miller (toe). - J.P. Pelzman Extension for Baker Tight end Chris Baker, who is in the third year of a four-year contract worth $6.6 million, has signed a contract extension, a team spokesman confirmed Wednesday night. The deal is reportedly for another three years, although the team wouldn't discuss any details. Baker, who had a career-high 41 receptions last season, was scheduled to make $683,500 this season and boycotted voluntary practices in the spring because he was unhappy with that deal, but hasn't talked about his contract situation since late July, at which time he indicated he was optimistic that something could be worked out. Feely set for Sunday Jay Feely might need directions to the Jets' home locker room Sunday, but he knows how to navigate the rest of Giants Stadium, particularly the often-swirling winds around the field. Feely, signed by the Jets on Monday night, kicked for the Giants in 2005 and 2006. He will kick for the Jets against New England on Sunday. Mike Nugent is out with a strained right thigh. "I feel comfortable there," Feely said of the Meadowlands. "I studied it a lot when I was with the Giants and we were in there every day kicking. You learn the winds. You learn how to kick the ball." He converted 28 of 35 field-goal attempts in home games during his two years with the Giants, and was 21-for-23 for Miami last season, yet was released by the Dolphins last month after missing a preseason game with a groin injury. Briefs Five Jets practiced on a limited basis Wednesday - defensive back David Barrett (shoulder), wide receiver Laveranues Coles (thigh), defensive end Shaun Ellis (hand), wide receiver Marcus Henry (calf) and cornerback Justin Miller (toe). - J.P. Pelzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Favre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentucky Jet Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 The Jets Are Favorites? How Gang Green Can Cover in Week 2 By Joe Caporoso | September 10th, 2008 E-mail | Print | Share Yes, the Jets are actually favorites to beat the New England Patriots this week. It is amazing how the fate of two quarterbacks can alter the perception of a game so much. Regardless, it is Jets vs. Pats, Favre vs. Cassel this week, so how can the Jets come out on top and take early control of the AFC East? 1. #89 and #87 - The Patriots have struggled heavily covering and tackling Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles over the past few seasons, and that was before they lost Asante Samuel. New England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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