Mike Freeman - Reality bites Brett, Jets as Brady-less Patriots clean up

[CrazyCarl40]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10977555

Reality bites Brett, Jets as Brady-less Patriots clean up

Sep. 14, 2008

By Mike Freeman

CBSSports.com National Columnist

Tell Mike your opinion!

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's a little different when you're not going against the Miami Dolphins, huh Brett Favre?

Unlike the Dolphins, the New England Patriots actually cover wide receivers.

And tackle, too.

Entering the fourth quarter of Sunday's 19-10 loss, Favre's New York Jets offense scored just three points against the Patriots. Until then it was hard to tell which player was the Hall of Famer and which one was the clipboard holder at USC.

The novelty is quickly wearing thin, the edge is off the cheddar, and the spell cast over an entire region is dissipating. Reality now sets in for the Jets and the reality is that Favre's season might be more like John Unitas' last year than John Elway's.

Because if you can't beat a team with a quarterback making his first start since high school, at home, when fans and media apologists all promised this was the first step toward the Jets beheading the Patriots beast, then you might as well pack your bags and stand in line for the 8-8 season.

Wasn't Favre signed to win games like this? Wasn't that the point of all the preseason media overkill? Weren't we told when Tom Brady's knee ligaments separated into pieces this division was Favre's to lose?

Yet here we are, in a familiar position: the Jets on their backs, looking like they were just sprayed with Agent Orange and the Patriots standing over their carcasses, the genius Bill Belichick still king of the division.

New York Bretts? No.

Same old Jets? Absolutely.

Don't think the Patriots didn't hear all the chatter about their imminent demise. While being respectful of the Jets, the Patriots' Vince Wilfork all but said that.

When asked if the media and others were too quick to look at the Jets as division champions once Brady was gone, Patriots fullback Heath Evans smiled: "Those people might now need to look at the Bills. I don't mean that in any derogatory way against the Jets. The Jets are a good, tough team. But so are we. You shouldn't anoint any team. You earn things in this league."

Favre wasn't the lone reason New York lost to New England. Belichick outcoached his counterpart, Eric Mangini, yet again. The Jets' defense looked old, not New England's, and the Patriots played with a greater sense of urgency. Then Mangini, for some strange reason, went extremely conservative on offense for much of the game.

All of that is true, but where was Favre?

While Favre did have one nice stretch in the fourth quarter, it was too late. For much of the game he was practically a non-factor.

Favre also made perhaps the biggest error in the game. Trailing just 6-3 with about nine minutes left in the third quarter, Favre was intercepted. His throw was one of those typical misguided Favre tosses he makes five times a game.

That interception changed the complexion of the contest. It gave New England the football at the Jets' 31-yard line and the Patriots scored for a 10-point lead.

Again, Favre wasn't served well by the play calling. The Jets coaching staff apparently still thinks Chad Pennington is at the helm. There were so many short passes and shallow crossing patterns, the Jets looked like the Kansas City Chiefs.

Why the Jets would bring in a deep-ball thrower like Favre and then have him toss swing passes in one of the biggest games of year is a complete mystery.

The bigger issue is the game demonstrated that the departure of Brady doesn't automatically mean Favre will stuff the Jets into his chariot and lead them past the Patriots. Favre sometimes believes he's bigger than the game, but he's not. You still need a complete team around the quarterback and the Jets still have some gaping holes.

Favre is in New York for the big moments. This was one of them.

So where was he?