New England at Indianapolis, Week 9
Remember last year, when both of these teams were 8-0 when they played each other? Good times.
Things are, shall we say, diminished this season for the 5-2 Patriots and the 3-4 Colts (who have "descended into the NFL's peloton," writes the Boston Globe's Adam Kilgore, a former Post co-worker who apparently still is working his way through TiVo'd Olympics coverage).
Even without Tom Brady and after a torrent of injuries to other players, New England still finds itself tied for first with the Bills in the AFC East. And while Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel, isn't causing anyone to forget about the three-time Super Bowl winner, he is holding his own. Consider:
--His 84.6 passer rating is better than Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's (79). He also has a better completion percentage (65.8 to 61.1) and three fewer interceptions than Manning.
--He engineered his first fourth-quarter comeback in last week's 23-16 win over the Rams, despite getting sacked three times in the fourth quarter.
--Cassell's stats through the first seven meaningful games of his NFL career: 131 of 199 passes, 65.8 completion percentage, 1,362 yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 84.6 passer rating, and the Patriots went 5-2. Brady's stats through the first seven meaningful games of his career, in 2001: 135 of 211 passes, 64 percent completion percentage, 1,380 yards, 11 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 90.2 passer rating, and the Patriots went 5-2.
All of this, plus questions about the future health of Brady's left knee, has led some to speculate that the Patriots will make an earnest effort to re-sign Cassel after the season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
"Matt's a good quarterback," Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said, with his usual flair for the verbose, after New England beat the Rams. "He's played good all year and I expect him to do that."
By
Matthew Bonesteel
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October 31, 2008; 12:00 PM ET
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Game Previews Week 9
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