No Branch, no problem: Pats still good, Jets still Jets
The Patriots win by making it just about business. Leave the gun and take the cannoli. That might as well be their motto. When the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets recently meaning, in effect, coach Bill Belichick was accusing his friend, former staffer and now Jets head coach, Eric Mangini, of cheating, it was just business.
After the game, when the two coaches met to shake hands, Mangini looked like he wanted to strangle Belichick.
When Belichick downplayed going against Mangini by saying "it was the Patriots against the Jets." He meant it. Businessmen do not make things personal.
As long as this organization has Brady and Belichick, a smart owner in Robert Kraft and the best personnel department in football, they will be just fine.
Brady is the biggest key. His first six passes went to six different receivers -- three to tight ends and three to receivers. Prior to one pass out of the shotgun to tight end Ben Watson for 23 yards, Brady stared down all of his checks -- boom, boom, and boom -- before settling on Watson.
Brady was not perfect today. He completed just 1 of 5 passes for 14 yards in the third quarter after a blazing start and made some questionable decisions but he is so good that his mediocre days are better than the great ones of other passers. He finished 15-of-29 for 220 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
"There were plays we could have executed better," said Belichick, "there is no doubt about that. There are plenty of things we need to work on."
"I liked it better 24-0," said safety Rodney Harrison. "It shouldn't have been that close. That was terrible by us."
After beating New York, Brady is now 56-1 when leading entering the fourth quarter. Normally Brady's efficiency and accuracy means he will make any receiver look good. He did with Branch and he will with someone else.
It's the Patriot way now.
The game was close but it's still the same old Jets.
Same old Patriots, too.
No matter who is on the roster, it seems.
