Zetlin:

Tom Brady is done for the season. Now what?

This situation reminds me a lot of the 2001 Patriots season, when the Jets’ Mo Lewis knocked quarterback Drew Bledsoe out of the game with a devastating hit along the sideline. In trotted a former sixth-round pick from the University of Michigan, a guy who was never really the clear-cut starter for the Wolverines. Who was that, you ask? You might have heard of him. His name is Tom Brady. And the Pats beat the Rams in the Super Bowl later that season. The rest is history.

So do I think Matt Cassell is the next Brady? No. Not even close. But with this offense, Cassell doesn’t have to be a superstar; he simply needs to manage the team. He has all the options an incoming quarterback could ask for with Randy Moss — the most talented wide receiver in the game — and Wes Welker, who hauled in 112 receptions last season.

The offense will suffer with the loss of Brady, but look for running back Laurence Maroney to emerge as the premier back New England hoped he would become when they drafted him in the first round in 2006.

Plus, the Pats have the easiest schedule in the entire NFL this season. They still have one of the best front sevens in football. And oh yeah, the best coach in the league, Bill Belichick wears his infamous hoodie on their sideline.

I agree, the AFC East is now wide open, but the Pats are still the team to beat.

What, you think some no-name quarterback can lead the Jets to the division title? Dream on.

Mason:

When Tom Brady went down with a knee injury that was later revealed to be season ending, the entire New England area went on suicide watch.

Simply put, Brady has been the face of the franchise since he took over as the starter in 2001. Since then, he’s been named the Super Bowl MVP twice and, oh yeah, the Patriots won the big game three times in that span as well.

You can try to point to all the talent the current Patriots team had, but the fact of the matter is the 2001 championship roster doesn’t hold water to today’s. Troy Brown is not Randy Moss. Antowain Smith is no Lawrence Maroney.

And now, Matt Cassel is — and never will be — Tom Brady. That’s why the Pats will miss out on the playoffs in 2008 for the first time in six seasons.

Look at Cassel’s track record: Before Sunday’s game, in which he came in to replace Brady, he had thrown 39 NFL passes. In his college days at USC, he was a backup to a pair of Heisman Trophy winners, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

I’m not ready to totally write New England off. I still think an 8-8 or maybe 9-7 season could be in the works for the Pats. As Derek mentioned, their schedule isn’t exactly daunting.

And that “no-name” quarterback on the Jets Zetlin alluded to? He knows a thing or two about how to win and should lead New York to the division title, finally overthrowing the mighty Patriots dynasty.

A lifetime backup filling in for an idol? Not buying it. I hope the Patriots have high-def TVs for watching the playoffs.