Satisfying

For the New York fans that cheered Tom Brady's injury and to the New York tabloids that celebrated New England's misfortune, this win is for you.

All day long I said this would be a Patriots win. Normally I'm a rational wait-and-see guy and willing to respect the unpredictability of the sport. But not today. I had total confidence in the result. No doubt in my mind the Patriots would come out on top.

Why? It wasn't a feeling, it didn't come to me in a dream, nor did I have a vision. I guess it was my anger that became confidence because of the continued hate/jealousy from fans of lesser teams and the doubts erupting from those who can't wait for the Patriots demise.

Honestly, how does it feel for Jets fans who thought this game was in the bag? They assumed all their team had to do was show up and N.E. would throw up their hands and give obeisance to the Brett Favre-led Jets.

And talking about Favre, he made a few nice plays, but once again threw a crucial bone-headed interception. I knew it was a matter of time. When Favre threw it, I remarked, "That's the Favre I know." While Favre and his exploits are legendary, the problem with being a legend is his greatest accomplishments are behind them.

Coming from the other end of the spectrum is Matt Cassel. He's far from becoming a legend, but at least he has a future to look forward to. Cassel wasn't anything special, but played solid from beginning to end. He left a few plays on the field, but Cassel didn't make a mistake that cost the Pats a win. The good news: with more time, he will get better.

This win drowns out the din of the haters and doubters for a day or two. But they'll come back. That's fine. It's fun watching the Pats prove them wrong and shut them up repeatedly.

And to the members of the Bernard Pollard Fan Club, enjoy your t-shirt. As the season progresses you'll turn them into handkerchiefs as you cry out why your team isn't as good as the Pats.