Shots Heard 'Round The Web - Links for 9/9/08

Quit Drooling!  Gary Myers of the Daily News salivates thusly, "The Jets play the Patriots next week.  They have the better quarterback. The AFC East is theirs for the taking."  (Gag.)  An injury to Brady suddenly makes the Jets serious players in the division?  Come on!

Projo's Mike McDermott tells the fans, "Don't count the Patriots out" while cautioning, "Things probably won't be pretty at first. The game next week at the Jets, in particular, looks pretty scary. It will be a Patriots team trying to reinvent itself against a highly motivated opponent."

Kevin Rousseau suggests that the Patriots are playing with house money, and that it should prove to be an interesting season watching the Patriots squeeze all they could get out of the lemon they were handed. (in other words, "Chill Out!")

USA Today speculates on who will replace Brady, while we all know Matt Cassel is our guy.  Despite their listings of all available (read: breathing) quarterbacks, Belichick himself talked on WEEI Monday afternoon about how difficult if not impossible it would be for any quarterback to just step into the Patriots system and be effective.

Hey, why wasn't Pollard flagged on Brady's hit?  Gary Mihoces explains.

Mike Lopresi theorizes that all things considered, it is not surprising that so many NFL quarterbacks go down. It should be more surprising when they can stay in one piece for long.  He also quotes Peyton Manning on Brady's injury and the fragile nature of the position,

"Tom is a friend," Peyton Manning said. "I hate it for any quarterback. There is no question it is a reminder, but it doesn't take something like that to remind you that in this game, you're one play away."

ProFootballTalk says the Patriots flew free agent quarterbacks Chris Simms and Tim Rattay to Boston to work out, only to have them sent back home after being told that "the situation had changed."  Interesting.

The Providence Journal transcribes Bill Belichick's Monday afternoon press conference.  Highlights:  "We all have to do our jobs."  "We will do what we think is best for our football team - as always." "[Brady's surgery will take place] when the doctors schedule it."  Such a font of details!

Projo's Jim Donaldson writes on Matt Cassel - mop-up man to man in charge.

Guess we should just pack it in.  ESPN's Jeff Chadiha declares "There is no way the Patriots make the playoffs."  Then he challenges Bill Belichick's reputation and questions his worth by daring him to win with the back-up instead of Brady.

The disrespect continues with DJ Gallo's comments, "Dark days in Boston.  The Dreamboat reportedly has torn a sail."  Ha-ha-ha.  Sooooooo funny.