This may be Peyton Manning’s MVP season, but there isn’t a quarterback alive who makes more out of less than Tom Brady.
And now Rex Ryan goes from the Ryan pan into the fire when Brady and the Patriots return to MetLife Stadium and goes for a twin killing on consecutive weekends.
Rob Ryan’s Saints on Sunday. Rex’s Jets this Sunday.
Sean Payton did Brady and the Pats a favor when Drew Brees attempted a third-and-7 pass for Marques Colston prior to a Garrett Hartley field goal rather than keeping it on the ground and eating clock or forcing Bill Belichick to use his third timeout before the two-minute warning.
Then Payton turned conservative after a Brady interception with a pair of ineffective runs and a Brees flop, giving Brady back the ball for his last-second heroics, capped by a 17-yard TD pass to Kenbrell Thompkins in the back of the end zone with five seconds left.
“I know that you can’t give Tom Brady and that offense three chances at a two-minute drill,” Brees said.
Even with receivers named Thompkins and Dobson and Collie and Edelman, Brady did Belichick a favor: The Hoodie would have been skewered for going for it and not getting it fourth-and-6 at his 24, leading to the field goal that made it 27-23 with 2:46 left.
When Brady hit Thompkins with the game-winner over Jabari Greer, Rob Ryan wore the look of a man who just learned that:
Anthony Wiener had been sexting his wife. Or Kevin Gilbride punched his father, Buddy, again. Or he was being sued by Alex Rodriguez.
Oh, by the way, Brady’s last visit to MetLife? The Buttfumble.
But they keep going down, Pats
The Patriots somehow managed to pull out the 30-27 win over the Saints on Sunday, but you truly have to wonder just how many more injuries and body blows one team can possibly stand without collapsing.
The Jets can’t be trusted to beat any team, of course, but they appear to be catching New England at a truly opportune time this weekend at the Meadowlands after the Patriots lost four more key starters to injury.
Top cornerback Aqib Talib (hip flexor), guard Dan Connolly (concussion), wideout Danny Amendola (concussion) and linebacker Jerod Mayo (shoulder) were knocked out early from Sunday’s game, and Talib appears to be the only one out of that group with a good chance of facing the Jets.
Mayo was spotted after the game with his shoulder in a sling, but Amendola’s situation seems to be the most dire after he was obliterated by an apparent helmet-to-helmet sideline hit in the second half.
Amendola, who already was dealing with a severe groin injury that did nothing to dispel his fragile reputation, appeared to be briefly knocked out cold on the play before walking woozily back to the bench and, in short order, the locker room.
The Patriots were without Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is gone for the season with an Achilles injury, and the long-awaited return of tight end Rob Gronkowski from back and arm surgery has become a saga and baffling mystery.
Combine that with Sunday’s stunning body count, and it’s clear the Patriots will need all the magic Brady can provide if they expect to stay afloat.
Concussion phobia encourages dangerous low blows
The NFL continues to have a problem on its hands as confused defensive players endanger the careers of receivers with low hits that are encouraged by a concussion-obsessed commissioner.
The Packers are sweating out a knee injury to Randall Cobb sustained on a hit by Ravens rookie safety Matt Elam.
“We try to play within the rules of football,” Ravens safety James Ihedigbo told the Baltgimore Sun. “That’s on Roger Goodell. He wants us to hit low, we’ll hit low, and guys will keep getting injured. God forbid, but that’s been taking place with [Dolphins tight end] Dustin Keller being out for the season. God forbid, I don’t know what Randall Cobb suffered, but I’m praying for him because it’s unfortunate.”
Aaron Rodgers wasn’t happy with Elam.
“I just felt like from my vantage point he had plenty of time to not take out a guy’s legs in that situation,” Rodgers said. “I think he could have hit him in the proper hitting zone, and that’s what I told him.”
Please bring back the old RG3
A sophomore slump is starting to look like a best-case scenario for Robert Griffin III.
The Redskins don’t want to think about the other, much more depressing possibility — that their young franchise cornerstone just isn’t going to be the same versatile, electrifying player he was as a rookie in 2012.
That’s certainly the lingering concern after Griffin turned in another tentative, uneven performance Sunday night in a 31-16 road loss to the Cowboys that dropped Washington to 1-4.
Griffin actually ran the ball better than he had all season, rushing nine times for 77 yards after mustering just 72 yards on 18 carries in the first four games combined.
That would have been encouraging except Griffin simultaneously took a big step back when it came to throwing the ball.
Despite facing a dreadful Dallas pass defense that lost Pro Bowl sack artist DeMarcus Ware to injury early on in Sunday’s game, RG3 completed just 19 of his 39 passes for just 246 yards while being intercepted once. He also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the game.
Griffin just doesn’t look right, and it’s plain to everyone. The brash confidence that made him an instant icon last year has been replaced by tentativeness and uncertainty, so much so that RG3 seems more like a rookie this year than he did as an actual rookie.
The Redskins are lucky the NFC East is so bad they are still just 1 1/2 games out of first, because it definitely would be time to press the panic button with Griffin if Washington were in a division with a 6-0 or 5-1 leader.
The merits of Shanahan’s perplexing decision to let Griffin rush his recovery from knee surgery in time to start Week 1 this season already have been debated to death.
What’s done is done. Now the concern has to be whether the negative changes in Griffin’s game are permanent.
Kansas City bringing the noise
Chiefs fans at Arrowhead Stadium who set a Guinness World Record of 137.5 decibels at the end of the Raiders game better enjoy it while they can. NFL fans being NFL fans, the roof is certain to be raised now at every venue that fancies itself the loudest in the sport.
First up to challenge the new record: Colts fans at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday. Imagine what it would sound like if Andrew Luck fashions yet another fourth-quarter comeback against the icon he replaced, Peyton Manning.
Of course, should the Giants continue to spit the bit on their way to 0-7 against the Vikings next Monday night, the boobirds could shatter eardrums at MetLife.
As Arrowhead took the lead — surpassing CenturyLinc Field in Seattle — Terrelle Pryor (3 INTs) was sacked 10 times and the Raiders were flagged three times for delay of game.
“We were just working together — the team and the fans,” Chiefs safety Eric Berry said. “Never seen anything like it.”
Or heard anything like it.
LeBeau knows — how to foil rookie QBs like Geno
It wasn’t a fair fight, Geno Smith versus Dick LeBeau. Asked how good a defensive coordinator LeBeau is, Joe Namath told The Post: “As good as you think he is — he’s a Hall of Famer. When you look at the Steelers over the years, what’s been their strength, the heart of their team? It’s been the defense.”
Steelers safety Ryan Clark added: “I think even more so than having him calling plays is just having a person like Coach LeBeau, a man that you really respect, also a man that respects us as players, respects us as people, and it’s not about dog cussin’, it’s not about screaming at us, even when we were 0-4 and not playing our best ball, it was more a sense of disappointment than anger that he was upset with us. We were disappointed that we weren’t doing the things that he had taught us to do. So it’s just awesome to have a guy like that in your corner.”
Asked how good LeBeau is as an Xs-and-Os guy, Clark said: “He’s the best I’ve been around. In-game game-planning, also during the week, understanding what the team’s gonna try to do to you, and having a feel for the calls that he wants to make, I think Coach LeBeau is top notch. I know he went in the Hall of Fame as a player, but I do believe it’s the things he’s done as a coach that also helped him get into the Hall of Fame.”
Michael Vick, meet Wally Pipp?
Michael Vick (hamstring) doesn’t deserve to get Wally Pipp’d by Nick Foles just yet — but if he can’t make it back this Sunday against the Cowboys, all bets are off. Because Foles is winning friends and influencing people. Namely, Chip Kelly.
“When you know you’ve got a quarterback behind you who can play, who will go out there and get the job done, the team believes in him, the guys believe in him, the coaching staff believes in him, you don’t have to rush it,” Vick said. “It’s a good space to be in.”
Hurry back, Mike. If you have to watch Foles outduel Tony Romo, the space you’ll be in will be on the sidelines next to Kelly.
No haven from bad Buc vibes on Revis Island
Call it Darrelle Hell. Trapped on Schiano Island, with no escape.
Revis, the 0-5 Buc, called the team’s MRSA outbreak “a big distraction” in getting ready for the Eagles. Schiano has lost 10 of his last 11 games and his role in L’Affaire Josh Freeman is subject to investigation. Let’s put it this way — if he were fired tomorrow, there wouldn’t be a mutiny among the players.
“Our minds were on starting fresh and getting back into the football mode coming off the bye, and then we had to deal with this,” Revis said.
Thank goodness for payday.
Masters of sacks
Here’s why the Giants need to draft South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney: Seven players have more sacks individually than they do as a team (5). The list:
Justin Houston, Chiefs: 9.5
Robert Mathis, Colts: 9.5
Mario Williams, Bills: 8
Tamba Hali, Chiefs: 7.5
Terrell Suggs, Ravens: 7
Robert Quinn, Rams: 6
Shaun Phillips, Broncos: 5.5
Lions’ Fauria puts Touchdown Jesus behind him
There was a time a little over four years ago when Lions tight end Joseph Fauria never would have imagined he would become a cult hero celebrated for his funky touchdown catches. The 6-foot-7 red-zone freak was suspended for undisclosed reasons by the Office of Residential Life at Notre Dame and transferred to UCLA.
”I’ve always been a fan of Notre Dame, but I was mistreated by the Office of Residence Life,” Fauria told the Irish Sports Daily at the time. “They mistreated me very much. Something happened at school, and I don’t think the punishment fit the crime. They didn’t handle the situation how it should have been handled. I guess they were trying to make an example out of me and I was not the person to do it to.”
Fauria’s three TD catches in Sunday’s 31-17 win over the Browns gives him five on the year … and seven catches overall. He’ll be a hot commodity on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.
Breaking down the Jaguars’ chances at 0-16
The Jaguars covering the 26½-point line against the Broncos didn’t mean rookie head coach Gus Bradley called his team up in the locker room afterwards and exulted: “No one can take this away from you, men.”
What it does mean is the 0-16 2008 Lions will be popping the champagne when the Jaguars leave them squatting at the bottom by themselves.
The Jaguars will be in jeopardy of spoiling their imperfect season as early as next Sunday when they host the Chargers, who will be coming off a Monday Nighter against the Colts. It’s a dangerous spot for the Jags, but thankfully, they know how to lose, and Philip Rivers has been lights-out.
The Jags will enjoy a home-field advantage of sorts when they “host” the 49ers at Wembley Stadium in London the following week, but Jim Harbaugh has his boys playing with an enthusiasm unknown to Jagkind.
So for argument’s sake, let’s get the Jags to 0-8 at the bye, when Bradley will have no choice but to bring in Joe Namath, Buster Douglas, the 1985 Villanova basketball team and the 1980 U. S. hockey team in a desperate attempt to inspire his club.
The remainder of the schedule features only one team (Colts) with a record better than .500.
Nov 10 at Tennessee: This is where the pressure not to be the first team to lose to the Jags begins to mount. Ryan Fitzpatrick could be the savior.
Nov 17 vs. Cardinals: Bruce Arians could be looking ahead to the following week’s game against Luck and the Colts.
Nov 24 at Houston: If Matt Schaub is healthy, and he throws a pick-six against these guys, he’d better enter the Witness Protection program.
Dec 1 at Cleveland: There’s always Brandon Weeden, but the Jags are not exactly known as Road Warriors.
Dec 5 vs. Texans: This has to be the one. On Thursday night, at least 20,000 Jags fans (with bags over their heads) in the stands, a Schaub pick-six.
Dec 15 vs. Bills: Give Bradley 10 days to prepare for a rusty EJ Manuel, and just watch.
Dec 22 vs. Titans: Fitzpatrick can’t possibly beat a team twice in six weeks, can he? Maybe Jake Locker will be back.
Dec 29 at Colts: OK, maybe Chuck Pagano will decide to pull his starters in the second half to rest them for the playoffs.