Players and coaches look at the long NFL season (17 weeks) as a game of four quarters, with the magical number of 10 wins coming from within that time to make it to the playoffs. Remember, sometimes 10 is not enough. With the Jets going 2-2 in the first quarter, it's time to make a move in quarter No. 2, going at least 3-1, maybe even 4-0. They can do it.

Recapping the first quarter is easy. Ever… More

When Bryan Thomas was talking with reporters the other day about his fast start out of the box, D-linemate Sione Pouha sat a few lockers to his right saying sotto voce "Sackmaster ... Sackmaster."

"That's not the way I look at it," Thomas told me today about his start.

No, BT is an expressly humble guy who wants to do a good job and help his team. He knows last year's production wasn't up to his… More

Shaun Ellis was, like the rest of his teammates after this home opener, disappointed. And he has more reason than others to be dejected. The defensive captain has been around for every one of the eight consecutive New England wins in his home stadium.

"We knew this was going to be a close game," Ellis said. "I thought it was going to be different this time."

The Jets' 19-10 loss had that kind of… More

The Jets cover Ellis Hobbs' second-half KO return expertly, with Wallace Wright, the subject of Eric Allen's Special Teams Saturday feature, and Cody Spencer dropping Hobbs at the Pats 21.

Then Bryan Thomas — with his third sack of the season, surpassing last year's 2.5 total — and David Barrett on a nickel blitz drop QB Matt Cassel twice and the Jets look to be sitting pretty.

But Brett Fav… More

For those who thought the Patriots would be in for a 2008 fall post-Tom Brady, they were frustrated by the events of the first 1½ quarters of today's Jets home opener at the Meadowlands.

Matt Cassel looks calm, cool and collected — dare we say Bradyesque — in leading the visitors from Massachusetts to two time-consuming field goal drives and a 6-0 lead. Cassel, making his first start as we all … More