Back injury sidelines Patriots’ Gronkowski against Jets

Tom Brady is taking a wait-and-see approach to his availability for the New England Patriots’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday.

“It’s just bumps and bruises like everybody else”, Brady said after returning to the practice field on Friday. “I think we’d be able to feed off that”. Everyone is dealing with something.

Brady, who was questionable with a knee injury, wasn’t his usual spectacular self, but finished 30 of 50 for 286 yards and two touchdowns.

If the Patriots could get a low grade for time management, they would.

And, Belichick is right: Other than a 49-19 drubbing by New England in 2012, the teams have been closely matched lately. In fact the Jets may well have played their best game of the year against perhaps the best team in the NFL. Even though you’re hitting them, he’s still very competitive. “We didn’t start well, but we hung in there and battled all the way and made the plays we needed to make at the end”. “To go that long and that good and to be playing at 39 years old – and not to miss a beat – still playing at a high level says a lot about the man”.

On the other hand, as long as the Patriots continue to play as they have been all year, one can envision a scenario where they’re one and done in the playoffs. They’re always in the game, right there and they find a way to create turnovers. We know this market, this team, these fans are really passionate and they want to win. I mean, he called me out a few times when we were teammates: ‘I’m coming at you today, 2-4.’ He challenges guys like a leader should.

The Patriots star is having a fantastic season and could tie Peyton Manning for the most total wins by a QB with 200.

Brady continued to defend Revis, whom he won a Super Bowl with.

Fitzpatrick has played the Patriots three times as a Jet, and he’s been uniformly great: 7 TDs, 0 INTs, a passer rating somewhere north of 100… and, despite all that, one win. Fitzpatrick has had some big games against the Patriots, although they haven’t often translated into wins.

“I didn’t think about it while we were playing”. It wasn’t a pretty 60 minutes of football, but it was good enough for New England’s ninth win of the season. People are paying a lot of money. “Hope don’t get you anywhere”. “You show up to work every day and you’ve got to count on the guy next to you”.

“It’s always a tough game”, Patriots safety Devin McCourty said.

The Patriots did all those things on Sunday, and it helps explain why quarterback Tom Brady referred to running back James White’s 4-yard catch on fourth-and-4 on the game-winning drive as a “championship-type” play. Wide receivers Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan have been limited at practice this week, but both are expected to be ready for Sunday. The other was wide receiver Matthew Slater, who is now dealing with a foot injury. Cornerback Cyrus Jones was absent due to illness. NY ranks third in rushing yards allowed per game (85.4) and second in yards per carry against (3.5). It’s a lot of focus. Last year, people were crowning us kings, and it felt good getting applauded at Knicks games and Rangers games, getting free steaks.