Tom Brady Is Not Human But You Already Knew That Since He Just Won His Seventh Super Bowl

 

    It's oddly reassuring in a world where very few things have gone right in the last 11 months that 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady can change teams for the first time, go to a league doormat and still somehow deliver a Super Bowl title in his first year with the Buccaneers. The first team to ever host the biggest single game in sports capped off a masterful postseason with their best effort yet as they blasted the defending champion Chiefs 31-9. I can't imagine that New England head coach Bill Belichick had the stomach to watch this entire contest since Brady (21-of-29 for 201 yards, 3 TDs) threw all his touchdowns in the first half and they were all caught by other former Patriots: two to tight end Rob Gronkowski (team-leading 6 catches, 67 yards) and one to degenerate receiver Antonio Brown. From there, the Bucs cruised to a 21-6 halftime advantage and eventually their first Super Bowl crown since 2003. Brady continued to extend his own mind-boggling records with his seventh title and fifth Super Bowl MVP award to boot. Haha but is that elite though?

    Plenty of people believed that Tampa could pull out a close win but absolutely nobody saw this defensive domination coming from the home team as they forced Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes into the worst game of his brilliant pro career: 26-of-49 for 270 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs. Here's a great stat: Mahomes is 6-0 in his young postseason career vs the rest of the NFL & 0-2 vs Brady who also knocked him off in the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City two years ago. The scary part for the rest of the league is that A) Brady confirmed after the game ended that he'll be back for at least another season and B) the Buccaneers' roster is stacked and mostly pretty young so they are not going anywhere anytime soon. For all the great things that Belichick has done with the Pats, letting TB12 go is quickly tearing up the charts for one of the worst decisions in pro sports history. Did I mention that the Brady victory tour returns to Gillette Stadium next season for what should be an insanely anticipated game? Fingers crossed that fans can be safely allowed back in the stands by then.  

    Brady has long been the greatest football player in history (don't bother debating that fools) but now he's entering even more rarified air with this title that nobody could have predicted before the Bucs started rolling in the postseason and knocking off three former MVPs (Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Mahomes) along the way. He will rightfully be included in discussions with Michael Jordan for the best professional athlete that has ever lived. If you wrote a book or screen play about Tom Brady's life, it would be hard enough to believe but this new Tampa Bay chapter makes it simply incredible. If there were any stragglers left, it also settles the two pertinent questions that we always wondered about: 1) could TB12 win elsewhere?; 2) Who was more important: him or Bill? Finally, say it with me folks: he is not simply a systems quarterback. 

The 2020 NFL Season Is Doomed As Another Pats Star-Stephon Gilmore-Tests Positive For Covid-19

 

    I am not a doctor but it did not take a medical expert to think that the Patriots (2-2) and Chiefs (4-0) playing on Monday night was extremely reckless just a few days after quarterback Cam Newton was the first player for New England to test positive for Coronavirus. Yesterday, a practice squad defensive lineman for the Pats named Bill Murray (haha yep, that's his actual name) who nobody had ever heard of was put on their Reserve/Covid-19 list (a grim new necessity for 2020). Of course every life matters as much as any other but again, we were treated to more nightmare fuel this morning as we woke up to the news that cornerback Stephon Gilmore-last season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year-had also tested positive for Covid-19.

    In a tweet posted later this morning, Cam wrote "WEAR YOUR MASK. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE" along with a picture of him wearing a mask. Reports have noted that he is asymptomatic while Gilmore's tweet said the same thing coupled with the details that "I've followed every protocol, yet it happened to me. Please be sure to take this seriously." This is not the proper time to debate whether Gilmore is being truthful or not. It's up to each individual person to choose to follow the correct procedures during this living nightmare or like our disgrace of a President, be prepared to suffer the possibly fatal consequences if you don't. There have been pictures on social media lately of Newton shopping in Boston last week without a mask on his face so there is that. These are grown, well-compensated men who should be smart enough to take this seriously however this all comes back to the NFL's unwillingness to do anything drastic in terms of safety measures (since they absolutely have to play this season, right now!) like employ a bubble. 

         It was only a matter of time before an outbreak happened in the league and we can thank the Titans' utter stupidity for that distinction. They already had their Week 4 game vs. Pittsburgh moved because of so many positive tests and despite not being in their facilities last week, more guys on Tennessee are still catching Coronavirus. One of the craziest things to come out of Cam's initial diagnosis was everyone rushing to say well no other Patriots tested positive so they were fit to fly to Kansas City early Monday morning (on two planes, one for the guys that had closest contact to Newton) then back home that same night. Any quarterback of an NFL team is going to interact face-to-face with numerous people every day let alone every week during his professional playing career especially during the regular season. 

    For now, New England's Week 5 meeting with the Broncos (1-3) on Sunday afternoon (4:25, CBS) at Gillette Stadium is still on, because why wouldn't it be? The Patriots' facilities are closed today and tomorrow so they'll be working remotely like so many others around this country. What a joke, clearly the NFL could care less about the health of its players, coaches and others who are employed by all of their teams not to mention the families, friends and co-workers of said people. It's doubtful that either Newton or Gilmore will be available to play by Sunday against Denver but that hardly seems important at a time of national crisis like this.

UPDATE 10/8/20: There will be no in-person practice tomorrow for the third straight day for the Pats. As a result, for the second week in a row the Patriots have seen their Sunday afternoon game moved to Monday. Now they'll tentatively host the Broncos in the first game (5, ESPN) of a doubleheader.  

UPDATE 10/11/20: You're not going to believe this but after another positive Covid-19 test for a Patriots player-defensive tackle Byron Cowart-was revealed this morning (after testing last night), their game tomorrow vs Denver has been postponed. Both teams will now have a bye this week (Week 5) and they'll try to play next Sunday afternoon at 1 pm. What a disaster, I guess we'll have to wait and see if the game ever happens at this point since it's already been delayed twice.

UPDATE 10/12/20: Reports from yesterday that Cowart had tested positive for Covid-19 turned out to be true as today the Pats made him the fourth player to be placed on their Reserve/Covid-19 list. The Patriots didn't practice today and they won't tomorrow either, hopefully they can get things back and running on Wednesday but we shall see. 

UPDATE 10/13/20: Now there is no practice scheduled tomorrow for the Pats, just a workout. 

UPDATE 10/16/20: The Patriots simply cannot have nice things anymore: after their first practice of the week happened yesterday with Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back on the field, today's practice was cancelled after another positive Covid-19 test. Offensive lineman James Farentz is reportedly the latest Patriot to catch the Coronavirus. Will this ever end? Probably not since they are also waiting for confirmation on another positive Covid-19 test. 

UPDATE 10/17/20: ESPN's Field Yates just reported that the Patriots put three more guys (!!!) on the Reserve/Covid-19 list: running back Sony Michel (currently on IR anyway), guard Shaq Mason and defensive end Derek Rivers. Oh but don't worry folks, the Pats-Broncos game is still on for tomorrow. In other non-Coronavirus news, two of Denver's best players (running back Melvin Gordon and tight end Noah Fant) didn't even make the trip to Massachusetts as they remained in Colorado with injuries.  

The Patriots Actually Hung Around With The Chiefs Way Longer Than Expected But Still Lost 26-10

 

    Once word came over on Saturday morning that Cam Newton had Covid-19 and he would miss the much-anticipated early season showdown against the Chiefs (4-0), a tall task turned into an impossible one. Let's be clear here: nobody in the world expected the Patriots (2-2) to compete with the defending Super Bowl champions so I suppose they should be proud of their effort under really tough circumstances: no Newton, the game moved to Monday night and they flew to KC this morning. Still, the NFL is not a participation trophy type of league and football isn't that kind of sport for that matter so the bottom line is that the Chiefs won 26-10 this evening at Arrowhead Stadium. 

    Brian Hoyer (15-of-24 for 130 yards, 1 INT, 59.4 QB rating) got the fluke start for the Pats but he didn't finish the outing as Jarrett Stidham (5-of-13 for 60 yards, 1st NFL TD pass, 2 INTs, 39.4 QB rating) took over in the third quarter and went the rest of the way. If Cam didn't have the Coronavirus, Hoyer honestly could be cut tomorrow and I don't think anyone would bat an eye. He came in with 10 straight losses in games that he'd started so it makes you wonder, how is he still in the NFL?  This should have been Stidham's first career NFL start but after a rough training camp complete with a mysterious hip injury, he was relegated to third-string quarterback duties-inactive the first three weeks. Thanks to the game getting pushed back a day, it will be a short week for the Patriots as they host the Broncos (1-3) on Sunday afternoon (4:25, CBS) and if Newton remains out, I'm calling it now: Stidham should/will start in his place. 

    The Patriots defense deserved better since they held one of the most explosive offenses in the league to just 19 points (KC's other touchdown was a pick-6 by Tyrann Mathieu) on their home turf with some fans (22%) in the stands. The best quarterback in the universe Patrick Mahomes (19-for-29, 236 yards, 2 TDs, 113.6 QB rating) looked mortal since both of his "touchdown passes" were 6-yard fancy handoffs to Tyreek Hill (4 catches, 64 yards) and Mecole Hardman. Kansas City's star tight end Travis Kelce (3 catches, 70 yards) still has never recorded 100+ receiving yards vs. the Patriots which is amazing and New England held explosive rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to under 100 total yards (64 rushing, 27 receiving). The Pats lost from self-inflicted wounds that resulted in three more turnovers (4-1).

    There were three plays in particular that will give Pats head coach Bill Belichick nightmares for weeks: a possible Mahomes fumble in the second quarter was incorrectly whistled dead for a sack, Hoyer got sacked on the last play of the first half which blew a chance at a tying field goal for New England and Stidham's pick-6 clanged off of Julian Edelman's (3 catches on 6 targets for 35 yards) usually money hands. It was such a bizarre set of circumstances leading up to this postponed contest so I feel like once the Chiefs saw that Cam was out, they figured this was a lock and who could blame them? That's why I wouldn't take too much out of this result which was closer than the final score would indicate. 

    There were some positives for the Patriots, thankfully the trip was not a complete waste of their collective time (haha easy for me to say sitting in the comfort of my own living room while I write this). Their red zone defense was great in the first half as they held Kansas City to a pair of Harrison Butker field goals (from 23 yards and 39 yards) and they forced a fumble by Sammy Watkins that was recovered by J.C. Jackson (who later should have had an interception). You knew that to have any chance to be competitive, they needed to run the ball well and they piled up nearly 200 rushing yards: with Sony Michel placed on IR (quad) earlier in the day, Damien Harris (17 carries, 100 yards) had his first career 100-yard performance in the NFL and James White (38 yards receiving and 21 yards rushing) returned to action after missing the last two games following his father's tragic death in a car accident. Wide receiver Damiere Byrd (5 catches, 80 yards) had his second solid game as a Patriot and Chase Winovich (2 solo tackles, 2 assists) notched a sack for the third straight game. 

    The Patriots got on the board with a 43-yard field goal by Nick Folk in the second quarter. It should have been at least tied 6-6 at halftime but Hoyer gonna Hoyer. With that in mind, he blew another rare red zone opportunity for the Pats by fumbling away the ball in the third quarter which led to Belichick finally benching him. Kansas City took advantage by turning that mistake into seven points on Hill's touchdown late in the third quarter which gave the home team a 13-3 lead. We saw a brief glimpse of what got all the beat writers in a lather about Stidham this summer when he tossed a perfect 4-yard fade in the corner of the end zone to N'Keal Harry. The Chiefs answered that score with a touchdown of their own-Hardman's-but Butker missed the PAT so it was 19-10. It was game over one play later though as Mathieu took Edelman's baffling drop 25 yards for the clinching touchdown. 

    It is useless predicting anything in 2020 but I can guarantee that this week leading up to what should be a layup against the terrible Broncos will be full of intrigue over A) Cam's availability or B) who will start if he remains sidelined. Denver just got their first win of the season on Thursday night 37-28 at the hapless Jets (0-4). They've had plenty of quarterback issues of their own as starter Drew Lock is out with a shoulder injury, backup Jeff Driskel already got the hook and third-string undrafted rookie Brett Rypien of course was the one to start and beat the Jets. Linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Courtland Sutton-their two best players-are out for the season with injuries and their head coach is the immortal Vic Fangio. Week 6 is New England's bye week so given the weak opponent and with time to regroup on the horizon, this is a game they have to win no matter which quarterback gets the nod. Plus not for nothing but Buffalo (4-0) is two games up on second-place New England as the Patriots bid for their 12th straight AFC East title looks to be a legitimate battle for once.  

      

       

       

    

    

    

Cam Newton Tests Positive For Covid-19, Pats-Chiefs Gets Postponed To Monday Night At 7:05

 

    At this point in 2020, I hesitate to say that we should always expect the worst but at least while the global pandemic seems to be coming back in a major way (the dreaded seconded wave that was correctly predicted for the fall), you can never get too comfortable. In a true white guy activity on a beautiful October morning in Massachusetts, I was at an apple orchard today when my phone started to blow up with news notifications and texts from some of my buddies with the news that Patriots quarterback Cam Newton had tested positive for the Coronavirus. Of course he did, this came two days after President Orange Man I mean Trump also came down with the dreaded Covid-19. What a world. 

    That's the first and hopefully last time I ever bring up politics on this blog so the relevant point when it comes to the Pats (2-1) is that their scheduled game tomorrow afternoon (4:25, CBS) in Kansas City (3-0) was postponed to Monday night (7:05, CBS) assuming that more Patriots or Chiefs don't also test positive on Monday morning. Meanwhile if the tests go well, New England still has to fly to Kansas City the day of a game which is basically unheard of but I digress. The good news for the team is that unlike the Titans (3-0) who have suffered a major outbreak with eight players and eight coaches/support staff testing positive for the Coronavirus, no other Patriots have reportedly come down with it after Cam did. It seems silly to even talk about football in a time like this but if and when the Pats-Chiefs game happens anytime soon, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer will get the spot start for New England. PS whatever happened to Pats legend Jarrett Stidham?

    In many ways, we all should have known that something like this was inevitable given the NFL's reluctance to play in a bubble which has been a flawless idea for the NHL, NBA and WNBA playoffs. There are so many players on every NFL team not to mention all the coaches, trainers and other personnel that to assume that each of those people is doing the right thing in terms of wearing a mask, social distancing, washing their hands for 20 seconds, etc. is insane. Oh and they still go home every night to numerous other family, friends, hookers, etc. and who knows what they have been up to. 

    Bottom line, as has been the case during this entire nightmare, there is only one simple solution for getting past all of this: observe all the CDC guidelines, don't gather in large groups and please take this seriously every day. I can't comprehend how some people still aren't doing what they can to slow this all down. Good grief, how much more tangible evidence do you need? Get well soon Cam and stay safe everybody!

    

    

Patriots Get Run Over In Kansas City, Suffer Second Worst Loss Ever Under Belichick (41-14)

There is not much to say when you watch one of your favorite teams get absolutely embarrassed on national television. New England (2-2) went into Arrowhead Stadium tonight for Monday Night Football and just laid down in a soul-crushing 41-14 loss to Kansas City (2-2). It was the second worst loss (by margin of defeat) under Bill Belichick, trumped only by the 31-0 loss at Buffalo in the 2003 season opener.

It was never remotely competitive after the first quarter as the Chiefs led 17-0 at halftime (and it should have been more) then 27-7 after three quarters. Alex Smith (20 of 26 for 248 yards, 3 TDs) had a nearly perfect quarterback rating of 144.4 while Jamaal Charles (92 yards rushing, TD; 2 TD catches) looked like the best all-around running back in the NFL. His backup Knile Davis (107 yards rushing) and tight end Travis Kelce (8 catches, 93 yards, TD) were also unstoppable.

Things got so bad that Tom Brady (14 of 24 for 159 yards, TD, 2 INTs) was benched in the fourth quarter (to make sure he wasn't maimed). Rookie Jimmy Garoppolo made his NFL debut and threw a meaningless 13-yard touchdown to Rob Gronkowski which is sure to set off reactionary idiots across New England for the next week ("he should start!").

The scary part is that Kansas City by all indications before tonight is nothing more than an average to fringe playoff team in the AFC. What happens when New England plays legitimate contenders like say Cincinnati (3-0) which just happens to be their next game on Sunday night (8:30, NBC) at Gillette Stadium?

I can't ever remember the Pats having so many critical deficiencies at one time: their offensive line is maybe the worst in the NFL, Brady isn't himself (understandably), they can't run the ball consistently and outside of Julian Edelman and the ghost of Gronk, who can he throw to? Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins were inactive again tonight which makes zero sense unless there was some internal punishment that we'll never know about.

The defense seemed promising through the first three games but then this evening they imploded in spectacular fashion: missing millions of tackles, slipping constantly and above all, looking slow and lethargic.

Other than Matthew Slater on special teams (seriously, he's a beast), there was only one other guy on the Patriots that showed some signs of life: Brandon LaFell. He had six catches for a game-high 119 yards including a 44-yard catch and run for a score. After four catches last week vs. Oakland, he appears to be getting on the same page with Brady. My advice to Josh McDaniels: keep feeding him the ball, what's the worst that can happen?

The AFC East is still the worst division in football and you know at some point, New England will get better. However, nobody expected a catastrophic loss like this. The Patriots used to hand out beatings in similar fashion, not absorb them in front of the entire world. This will be the most critical week (in terms of negativity) surrounding the team since Belichick took over (minus Spygate of course).

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Patriots Open Up Two-Game Lead In The AFC East With Easy 34-3 Win Vs. Chiefs On MNF

It's rare that an NFL game follows a script that everybody expects, that's what makes the league the best of the four major American sports and so exciting. It is usually so unpredictable from week to week.

Well once Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel went down with a hand injury last week and it was announced that he'd sit out, with backup Tyler Palko taking his place (for his first career start), the stars began to align for the rare 2011 New England Patriots blowout. That's exactly what happened as the Pats (7-3) took advantage on Monday Night Football with a 34-3 win that didn't even seem that close.

The poor Chiefs (4-6) have seen their season slip away due to major injuries to some key players: tight end Tony Moeaki, safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles, etc. Yes I know that every team in the NFL has injuries but it's impossible to top that list (Cassel was placed on IR today).

The MNF crew tried to sell the audience on Palko's (25 of 38, 236 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs) limited abilities and for a spell, it kind of worked as Kansas City led 3-0 after the first quarter thanks to a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Succop.

It took a while for Tom Brady (15 of 27, 234 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) to get going but once New England's offense was in gear and Palko started to give the ball away like it was on fire, this one was over quick.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis had his best game in weeks as New England racked up 157 yards rushing as a team. He had 20 carries for 81 yards and added a 25-yard catch.

Rob Gronkowski (4 catches, 96 yards, 2 TDs) woke up his team and the Gillette Stadium crowd from their collective slumber with a 52-yard catch and run touchdown with 4:18 left in the first half. Stephen Gostkowski's PAT made it 7-3 and he added a 21-yard kick with 10 seconds left in the half after Brady and Co. couldn't punch it in.

Things started to get silly in third quarter as Gronk scored a 19-yard touchdown which ended with him hurdling a guy and then falling right on his neck. No worries though, the cyborg was fine. I'd worry about a concussion with him but could you really tell if he had one or not?

Gronk set a record by getting to 20 career touchdowns (in 26 games) faster than any tight end in NFL history. Also, Bill Belichick jumped ahead of former Patriots head coach Bill Parcells for ninth all-time on the NFL win list with 118 career victories.

It was time for nearly every player on the roster to make a contribution as Kyle Arrington picked off two passes (he leads the NFL with 7); along with extensive time on defense in the secondary, Julian Edelman returned a punt 72 yards for a score (his second career punt return TD); Philip Adams had his first career interception while Mark Anderson (1.5 sacks) and Andre Carter (.5 sack) continued to wreak havoc on mediocre quarterbacks (hi Sanchez!).

Gostkowski's 19-yard field goal closed out the third quarter and then even rookie running back Shane Vereen (8 carries, 39 yards) made a cameo appearance in the fourth. Vereen scored his first career touchdown with a four-yard jaunt. Those were the first carries of the regular season for the mysterious 2011 second-round draft pick out of Cal.

It kind of felt like 2008 (old times) as no doubt the national media will be whining about the Patriots running up the score.

New England started off slow tonight but nobody will remember that since they woke up in time to pummel an awful team. With the Jets and Bills tied at 5-5 and meeting next Sunday, the Patriots are sitting pretty with their two-game advantage. In addition, New England is tied with Houston and Pittsburgh for the best record in the AFC.

The Pats will travel to Philadelphia (4-6) on Sunday to meet the desperate Eagles. Philly pretty much has to win out to have a shot at the playoffs and we shall see if Vince Young or Mike Vick gets the start at quarterback for a team which is loaded with talent but has really struggled to find consistency and/or close out wins in the fourth.

Matt Light left late in the game after getting rolled up on by Tamba Hali. Rookie Marcus Cannon got his first snaps as a pro at right tackle. That situation will be something to monitor as this short week goes on.

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Patriots-Chiefs Injury Report For Monday Night Football

The New England Patriots (6-3) will be making their second appearance of the season on Monday Night Football, they opened 2011 in Miami on MNF, as they host the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at Gillette Stadium.

The injury report came out today and at least for the Pats, there were few surprises. Since we don't know much about the Chiefs' day to day news, I felt like their injuries were more interesting (if that makes sense).

New England cornerback Devin McCourty is doubtful with a shoulder injury; I'd be shocked if he played, there is no possible way he's healthy enough. Plus, why push him to return against Tyler Palko?

Also, predictably Patriots linebackers Brandon Spikes (knee) and Dane Fletcher (thumb) were both declared out. Is Fletcher dead? That has to be the only explanation. What type of thumb injury could keep a football player out this long?

Finally, linebacker Jeff Tarpinian (illness) and safety James Ihedigbo (shoulder) are both questionable. This would have made me laugh in August or September but sadly they both started last week against the Jets.

For Kansas City, quarterback Matt Cassel (aka Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and linebacker Demorrio Williams are out. Cornerbacks Brandon Carr (ankle) and Brandon Flowers (back) along with defensive end Glenn Dorsey (knee) and safety Jon McGraw (shoulder) are all questionable.

I couldn't tell you if Carr is good or not but I know that Flowers is one of the best young defensive backs in the NFL. Dorsey was a beast at LSU but he hasn't made much of an impact for the Chiefs and McGraw is a scrub.

Stay tuned tomorrow and/or Monday as more information will come out.

UPDATE 11/20: Patriots safety Pat Chung (foot), cornerback Kyle Arrington (foot), running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (toe), center Dan Connolly (groin), defensive end Shaun Ellis (rib), running back Kevin Faulk (knee), linebacker Gary Guyton (shoulder), wide receiver Taylor Price (hamstring), wide receiver Matthew Slater (shoulder), offensive lineman Nate Solder (concussion) and offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer (back) are all questionable for tomorrow night.

UPDATE 11/21: You're not going to believe this but Ray Ventrone was added to the 53-man roster! Offensive lineman Thomas Clayton was released. Don't be shocked if rookie offensive lineman Marcus Cannon makes his NFL debut tonight. Also, McCourty was ruled out which if you've been reading this blog is not news at all.

The inactives for New England are: Chung, McCourty, Faulk, Tarpinian, Ryan Mallett, Fletcher and Spikes. For Kansas City, Dorsey and McGraw are the most notable guys that are out. Cassel was placed on IR today so UMass-Amerst wide receiver Jeremy Horne was called up off the practice squad.

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And there goes the 2008 season for the Patriots

110 consecutive starts. That's the third longest current streak for an NFL quarterback and it's likely to have ended as Tom Brady seriously injured his left knee yesterday in the Patriots' season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Backup quarterback Matt Cassel and the Patriots hung on for a 17-10 win at Gillette Stadium but make no mistake, without the 2007 NFL MVP (Brady) healthy, the Patriots will struggle to make the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.

The game got off to a strange start as New England turned it over on their first two possessions. The normally sure handed Wes Welker and Randy Moss both fumbled after making catches. Moss's fumble happened after he hauled in the pass that Brady threw before getting hit on the knee by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard.

Was the hit dirty? It was low and Pollard was basically out of the play after Sammy Morris blocked him to the ground but stuff like this happens in football. Brady has been incredibly durable so it's not like he's Donovan McNabb (going down with an injury every season).

Cassel (13 for 18, 152 yards, 1 touchdown) made the biggest throw of his life on the last play of the first quarter. With the Pats backed up on their own 1, Cassel looked deep and found Moss (6 catches, 116 yards, touchdown) for a 51-yard gain. It sparked the offense as New England eventually scored on a 10-yard toss from Cassel to Moss in the back of the end zone.

Chiefs kicker Nick Novak hit a 40-yard field goal right before halftime as New England went into the locker room with a 7-3 lead.

Credit Cassel and the Patriots offense for not completely falling apart without Brady at the helm. Sammy Morris (10 carries, 53 yards; 5 catches, 34 yards) looked great after missing most of last season. Laurence Maroney had his typical (10 carries, 51 yards) flashes of brilliance but overall nothing special performance.

Kansas City had quarterback problems of its own as starter Brodie Croyle (11 for 19, 88 yards) separated his shoulder in the third quarter after an Adalius Thomas hit. Backup Damon Huard (who's gotta be pushing 60 years old) came in and things surprisingly went well. Huard finished 8 of 12 for 118 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

Morris scored on a 5-yard run, with three minutes left the third quarter as the Pats went up 14-3.

The Chiefs wouldn't go away though-which is a real bad sign for New England-as Dwayne Bowe caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Huard two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Stephen Gostowski made it a seven-point game with 2:26 left by hitting a 37-yard field goal. Ellis Hobbs gave the Pats great field position with a 51-yard kickoff return. The much-maligned cornerback had a great game (by his standards) with an interception and sack.

Things got dicey as Kansas City marched down the field with a 68-yard catch and run from Huard to Devard Darling. The Chiefs had first-and-10 at the Pats' 5 but couldn't cash it in with four chances.

Big picture: without Brady, the Patriots will struggle to go 8-8. Kansas City is a young team, one of the worst in the league and New England had a real hard time putting them away, at home. The AFC East is still nothing special but Buffalo is getting better and the Jets are certainly more dangerous than they were last season. New England has one of the easiest schedules in the league but it's hard to think that Cassel will consistently play like he did yesterday. There's no use in crying or whining since the Patriots have had a remarkable run the last seven years. Injuries occur all the time, we're frankly lucky that Brady had never missed regular season time before. Now the ultimate question will be answered: can a great team survive without its best player?

Cassel's first NFL regular season start will be next Sunday at the Jets.