Random Thoughts (September 8, 2008)

Tom Brady will have an MRI on his injured left knee today. All preliminary reports (more like rumors) have said Brady has, at least, a serious ACL injury and that Matt Cassel is the quarterback of the team for the time being. This is horrible news for the Patriots but it is not necessarily the end to their season. Yes, Brady is the MVP and his loss does knock them out of the discussion for possible Super Bowl contenders as of this morning but, on paper, this is still a playoff team that could still contend for the Lombardi Trophy come January. For now, Cassel has to step up and run the offense. He does not need to be Brady. More importantly, he must not try to be Brady. Cassel just needs to minimize mistakes, avoid turnovers, and get the ball into the hands of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Ben Watson to keep opposing defenses honest while the rushing game takes control. This will not be Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe in 2001. But there is a strong history in the NFL of a young backup quarterback who has spent more than one year as an understudy in the same offense stepping in and playing good football. David Garrard is doing it right now in Jacksonville, a preseason Super Bowl contender. Sure, Garrard (and more importantly to New England, Cassel) is not threatening the record books but he is a capable quarterback who holds onto the ball, giving his team the chance to win. That is what the Patriots need right now. There are reports that veteran free agents Chris Simms and Tim Rattay are coming in to workout. This is a solid move by Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli. Kind of like Theo Epstein going out and bringing in Paul Byrd (see below) to shore up the Red Sox starting rotation. It will keep the offense at ease if they have a veteran on the bench ready to step in for Cassel should he seriously falter. My prediction of a 13-3 season, complete with a win in Super Bowl XLIII? Gone, for now. I expect a season along the lines of 10-6 or 11-5. There is still a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, enough to compete for a playoff spot -- and, perhaps, more -- with Brady sidelined... Theo Epstein is the best general manager in baseball. The architect of the 2004 and 2007 World Series champions, Epstein has made the 2008 Red Sox a leading contender to end October with a parade through Boston on the Duck Boats. When Epstein decided that Manny Ramirez caused more harm than harmony, he sent the mercurial slugger to Los Angeles and brought in unheralded Jason Bay to replace him. Bay's numbers (.305 BA, 5 HR, 30 RBI, .880 OPS) might not match those of Ramirez' Dodgers stats (.410/11/34/1.261) but they are still solid. On top of the statistics, Bay plays great defense in left field, runs the bases better than Ramirez, and, most importantly, is not a giant distraction. Epstein has made some other moves to keep the Red Sox rolling. He added starting pitcher Paul Byrd (4-1, 3.82 ERA with Boston) and outfielder Mark Kotsay (.265, 9 RBI, excellent defense) to make the team one of the deepest in the sport. The Red Sox are leading the A.L. Wild Card hunt by 6.5 games over Minnesota with 20 games on the schedule. They trail Tampa Bay by just 1.5 games in the A.L. East. This team is rolling towards the postseason. Thanks, in part, to the talented and deep roster assembled by Epstein... With the Rays coming in for a three game series beginning tonight, I feel good that the Red Sox will be starting Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Josh Beckett. I doubt Rays manager Joe Maddon or the Tampa Bay lineup shares my sentiments... Yes, Brett Favre looked pretty good yesterday but he was much more gunslinger than game manager, which has been his downfall the last few years. When he was playing his best football last year, in leading the Packers to the NFC Championship Game and earned himself second place in the NFL MVP voting, Favre was a game manager. In losing to the Giants in that NFC Championship Game played in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, Favre was a gunslinger. The team that really scares me in the (probably) post-Brady AFC East are the Buffalo Bills... Boston College is going to struggle. The offense just isn't good enough. If the offense could just manage 17 points per game and not turn the ball over, I would feel pretty good because the defense is very talented. But Chris Crane is a below average quarterback and true freshman Josh Haden looks to be just a little bit too young to carry the entire offense on his shoulders at running back... Enjoy Lester tonight...