Once you move past the obvious glee fans of so many other teams are exhibiting and the obvious dejection of New England Patriots fans regarding the loss of Tom Brady for the remainder of the season, the natural question becomes, "How will the Pats be affected?"

Can they still win the AFC East? Are they even a playoff team? Did Bill Belichick and the rest of the New England brain trust drop the ball, as suggested by more than one national columnist, by not having a more experienced backup than Matt Cassel on the sidelines, ready to take the wheel of what last season was the league's most prolific offense?

To those who are ready to jump off a bridge as well as to those who are hosting victory parties and buying T-shirts commemorating a player's injury (Shame on you), I say this: Slow down and take a breath!

Are the Patriots going to go 16-0? Of course not; they weren't going to do that even with a healthy Tom Brady. Some people - okay, at least one - feel that the mental and physical toll of trying to maintain their perfect record contributed greatly to the stunning upset in the Super Bowl last February anyway. Think about it - The Giants were trying to win a Super Bowl while the Pats were trying to make history.

As far as everything else goes, though, it's a little premature to write off New England - do it at your own risk. They still have Moss and Welker and Gaffney and Maroney and a dominating defensive line. The question mark becomes the ability of the offensive line, exposed in the Super Bowl by the Giants relentless blitzing from anywhere and everywhere, to protect the inexperienced Cassel.

If they can manage that, New England will be fine. Maybe not First Round Bye fine, but they will certainly have enough to make the playoffs and probably to win the division. If the O-line can't stop all the defenders who will most certainly be storming the Cassell, though, it becomes another story entirely.

Just getting to the playoffs - making the tournament, as Bill Parcells used to say - now becomes the focus for the Pats, or at least it should. Never mind perfect records or regular-season winning streaks or consecutive starts streaks for your quarterback; work on winning the division and see what happens once you get to the tournament.

In any event, it makes for fascinating viewing, starting this Sunday in the Meadowlands, where the Patriots take on the revitalized Jets in an early-season showdown. Pass me my chips and dip; this could be good.

__________

If you love fiction and have a few minutes to spare, check out my website, www.allanleverone.com