The Brady Effect

So Tom Brady is out for the season with a torn ACL. Oh, Jet fans everywhere just feel so bad! No seriously, the loss of Brady dramatically shifts the balance of not only the AFC Least, I mean AFC East, but also the entire NFL. The Patriots are no longer the team to beat. They are now the team missing their All-World QB and in danger of their dynasty coming to an end. Now, to be fair, they are still the Patriots and they still have everyone else, but this is Tom Brady we are talking about and Matt Cassel wasn't even the 2nd string QB for a while when he was at USC. In fact, he only threw 33 passes in college. He won't be able to make all the reads that Brady can and I don't think Cassel can check down the DBs and find the fourth option like Brady can.

All of this will upset the balance of the NFL because now other teams are primed to move up in the power rankings. Teams like the Jets and Bills are ready to step up and take a run at the AFC East crown. The Pats aren't exactly the 2007 Dolphins now, but they sure as hell aren't the 2007 Patriots either and they aren't anywhere as scary without Brady. It might even be a little easier to get to Cassel because of his inexperience back there and his probable inability to look off DBs.

The Jets are now serious contenders and look out because Captain Favre is comin' through with his army and the Jets are licking their chops because of this new Brady-less (at least for 2008) NFL. My Prediction: Jets win the AFC East and the Bills are the first wild-card team in. I am still sticking with my previous prediction though of 11-5 for Gang Green; however, this time it will be Jets-Colts in the AFC Championship Game and that's all I'm saying about it.