Patriot Injuries...
 

Kevin Faulk torn ACL... This is a gigantic loss for us. We will have to work hard to overcome this.

But you have the best coach, QB and WR in the league!!!!! What does an injury to 34-year-old part-time running back matter?

the least of your problems.

Not really. He's an ancient 3rd down back in what most likely was going to be his final year.

The Pats offense is basically about finding the wide open receiver early, which moves the safety off of the warning tracks and sets up the big play from Moss, which sets up a gashing running game from passing formations no matter which back gets the ball.

Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez was targeted just six times - and caught six passes for 101 yards against the Jets.

The two cornerbacks in the league who've had the most success covering Moss in his entire history as a player are probably Revis and Cromartie. The latter is probably the only corner he's ever seen whom he doesn't have a significant edge in height and strength against and is built like him.

If Welker can't win one on one matchups in the middle against the nickle guy, a linebacker, or a rookie corner ... these rookie tight ends have to become the new Welker ... just keep feeding them.

Brady can't be dependent on Moss and Welker next time he plays the Jets. Both of them lost their battles. Moss badly burned Revis on the deep ball twice - but Revis wasn't running like he can.

It also didn't help matters any that Brady was uncharacteristically inaccurate. If you're going to throw to guys who are being covered extremely well .. you can't keep missing by that much.

I would pick the Jets to win in Foxboro .. which only gives me more confidence that the Patriots will probably win that game comfortably. If they do, it's got to be because of the tight ends and a healthy Edellman winning match-ups that Moss and Welker aren't.

I'm no fan of the Patriots, and this injury improves Miami's chances at winning the division, so selfishly this isn't bad news for me.

However, I hate to see this happen to Faulk. He's a good player who has been a big part of some really good Patriots' teams over the last decade. He was a big part of winning their Super Bowls, and even though I almost always cheer against New England, it is easy to appreciate how multi-faceted he is as a running back. He isn't a superstar or anything, buy I'd hate to see his career end like that. Hopefully he is able to come back.

He had a great college career at LSU as well. Was in the same backfield with Cecil "the Diesel" Collins. That was back in like 10th grade when almost everyone in high school bet football and I tried to follow it in the winter. I'd probably only see 7 or 8 classmates tops weasel their way into The Downs at Erie on the weekends .. but almost everyone bet football.

I remember Faulk playing a huge role in LSU knocking off the #1 Gators in a night game at Death Valley. They were something like 24 point dogs at home and won outright. I wore a lot of LSU gear to school just to be different - .. I think they lost 7-6 to Vandy the very next week after knocking off #1. That football program has improved about as sharply as Nebraska's has regressed.

Isn't Death Valley where Clemson plays?

Yes - same name for LSU - except they dont have that stupid rock.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10264/1089090-144.stm

Easy now.