It's official: Tom Brady will have surgery on his left knee, ending his 2008 season. Coach Bill Belichick said the Patriots will put the QB on injured reserve and prepare to play without the reigning league MVP.
The question: Where does this leave the Patriots? New England was everybody's favorite to win the AFC East before the season, but the Brady injury certainly adds a wrinkle. With the Bills and Jets winning in Week 1, and the Dolphins putting up a good fight in a close loss, suddenly the Brady-less Pats may not be the sure thing they were at this time last week.
Our questions to you: Who will win the AFC East now? How many wins do you see the Patriots having without Brady? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Ana Ivanovic
Genevieve Morton



Comments (68) Add A Comment
With Earl Morrall come off the bench they won't miss a beat...
Jack Johnson
New York , NY
Total Comments (2)
Both Jets and Bills have so many changes, and are both a work in progress, that it's impossible to say who gels first/best and gets the most wins. And it will be impossible to say for at least a few weeks. I'm cheering for the Jets, but realistic.
I also would not count Pats out. Phins though, I'm assuming they are rebuilding.
puddnhead
Saint Louis , MO
Total Comments (22)
Who knew who Brady was when Bledsoe got hurt?
Conch Republican
Forest Hills , NY
Total Comments (3)
Chargers baby!!! even though they lost the first game.. they 've got so much weapons if they stay healthy.. i like Tom Brady and all, but it is sad day for NFL.. Chargers always wants challenges.. ya feel me,,
boLTz21
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (1)
UM.....The Bills have to be. Only because of Brett comming over so late. If Brett was there for all of Training camp, I would give the edge to the Jets. The Bills were playing in mid-season form. The Jets got lucky Revis caught that pass instead of the WR or else the Jets would be 0-1 in the division
Goodell: NFL's…
Nfl Headquarters, NY
Total Comments (7380)
Who knew the Chargers were in the AFC East
Kaiser_Dinger
Madison , WI
Total Comments (1)
I have to love the Jets here. The Bills had a good showing against Seattle, but once Brett is comfortable with his receivers, that opens up Jones in the running game and then...look out! The Jets could average 30-35 pts per game. I can say this, the Bills-Jets games should be barnstormers reminiscent of the old Jets-Dolphins games of yesteryear.
Conservative Voice
Central, VA
Total Comments (1220)
Did you see the TD catch in the back of the end zone? As long as Moss is there to pull the ball down, I say that Pats will win the AFC East. All he nees is someone to put the ball NEAR him. Cassell can do that.
drdimatteo
Charlotte, NC
Total Comments (2)
Like has been said, the Pats are still the team to beat. If they are willing to bring in Sims for a try out, why not ask Dante Culpepper to come out of retirement? After all, when DC and Moss played together with the Vikings they were a great pairing. Dont get me wrong, I am not a Culpepper fan but I do have respect for the man and believe that he deserves to be in the NFL. Sure he sucked in Miami, but the whole team sucked and then he went to the Raiders... so in the last couple years he was on teams that could not win no matter who their QB would have been.
Eurotaz
Total Comments (3)
While Brady is a great QB, everyone is successful there because of the system in NE and all they need to win the division is a guy that fits the system and that can get the ball to Moss. Hmmm..as I recall there was a guy who was pretty good at getting the ball to Moss who is currently sitting at home with nothing to do.
Not saying Culpepper is what he used to be, but with the Patriots weapons and talent, he would be a good fit for a season.
bsox
North Miami Beach , FL
Total Comments (3)
I see it as a close call between Pats, Jets and Bills. After one game its just too early too declare a favourite.
Pats - will we see the Cassel from preaseason or can he kick it up a notch ? KC was no real test, the Jets may be. They should sign Simms, Culpepper or both just to be sure. Hey, even Testaverde would look good with those receivers !
Bills - Team on the rise and I like Edwars a lot, but beating the Seahawks with a rusty QB who practically had to throw to the waterboy was not a real test either.
Jets - Favre looked good and if Thomas and the OL can keep it up they may beat anyone on a good day. Their defense worries me much more and get a reliable kicker for gods sake !
Naboo
Total Comments (63)
I think the Bills are in the Drivers seat until the Pats can prove they can deal with adversity against stronger competition. Although I commend the grit of the Pats in overcoming the adversity against the Chiefs they wont be able to do the smoke and mirrors trick against higher level opposition. The Jets have to deal with too many distractions surrounding the Giants and continuous comparisons of Bret in NY versus Green Bay
Wayne NY
Tonawanda , NY
Total Comments (1)
Nothing changes........the Patriots will still win the Division and who can count them out of contention for the Championship...is a long season and all those who count out the Patriots need to worry about the teams they root for, as we all know there are a lot more injuries that unfortunately will happen...so Brady gone might change the personell on the field but the Patriots you'll find will still be the team to beat!
Rascus
Newberry, SC
Total Comments (44)
Nothing changes........the Patriots will still win the Division and who can count them out of contention for the Championship...is a long season and all those who count out the Patriots need to worry about the teams they root for, as we all know there are a lot more injuries that unfortunately will happen...so Brady gone might change the personell on the field but the Patriots you'll find will still be the team to beat!
Rascus
Newberry, SC
Total Comments (44)
I see the Jets, Bills, and Patriots going between 9-7 and 10-6. The Dolphins lose a lot of close games and come out 6-10. The top three teams in the division split wins between them. I hope the Jets come out on top.
manuvsteal
Fayetteville , NC
Total Comments (42)
As a Bills fan, it pains me to say it, but the Pats are still probably the favorite (just barely) to win the division. They have so many other weapons and are so well-coached. It is so hard to tell, because all three of the other teams are in a period of transition.. The only thing we can say for sure is that Miami is not realistically in the running (waaay too much work still to do).
Even though the depleted 'Hawks were not much of a test, the Buffalo defense looked scary good out there last Sunday, and the special teams, well, they look like a Bobby April-coached special teams unit. 'Nuff said. The offense is still pretty low octane, though, so even with the improvements this year it might be hard for the Bills to came pace with...
...the Favre-era Jets. Or maybe not. Who can even tell? The Brett magic could take the Jets deep into the playoffs, or they could sputter early, or it could be somewhere in between. Won't really know for another few weeks.
jaysweet
Rochester , NY
Total Comments (448)
The Pats were lucky to be playing one of the worst teams in the NFL yesterday, or the slide would have begun then. Without Brady, they are human. They were already getting older at many key positions and their line has been suspect throughout the entire preseason. All things being equal, I think the Bills, if they continue to play together like they did in all aspects of the game yesterday, will be the team with the most to gain. yes, Favre makes the Jets better, but this is still a 4 win team from last year with a lot of issues being covered up by Favre. Jets/Bills games will determine the division and NE will be lucky to finish 8-8.
blzzzfn
Rochester , NY
Total Comments (2)
What are you Patriot fans talking about?
Brady is 95% of the team, and without him they're at best an 8-8 team.
The division will be between the Bills and the Jets. We will see when they play each other.
SopranoFB
Total Comments (1)
Ya I have to say, as a Packer Fan, the Pats are still the team to beat. They will likely loose a game or two because of the injury but they are a better team than Tom Brady.
a5roseb
Total Comments (4)
It's going to be a dog-fight, for sure. The Bills looked fantastic. I agree with Goodell, they are clearly in mid-season form. But you can't discount the "Brett" factor. Face it, even after all the drama this off season, he's statistically, still the best QB to ever play the game...and he's a winner. I'm sure he'll produce a "low percentage" play that will actually cost them a game, but they win 3 to 4 more more games with him this year, and the Jets eventually take the crown. Dolphins...uh...no. Pennington is a terd, and the rest of the team is already making golf plans for January. It's just Miami's way...
IgglesFan12
Encino, CA
Total Comments (11)
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