Far less reassuring are "Tom Brady, game time decision..."
Could Jimmy Garoppolo step in for Brady if needed? Sure. I believe in Jimmy G and one more big game could only increase his trade value but I'd really rather have that game come in Week 17 against the Dolphins.
Rob Gronkowski is also a game time decision but unlike Brady, I'd be relieved to see him in street clothes on the sideline. Gronk's absence will hurt but his long-term health outweighs the risk of a loss in Gotham. With Gronk out, I'm far more concerned with Chris Hogan's back than with Martellus Bennett's ankle. Hogan and Gronk have been Brady's favorite deep third of the field targets in 2016. With Brady absent or limited in practice this week, it seems unlikely there was time to come up with something better than sending Julian Edelman deep as they did so ineffectively against the 49ers. Maybe Malcolm Mitchell can step up again this week.
Or maybe this game is all about James White and Dion Lewis wheeling out of the backfield; screen passes and draw plays.
I do expect Brady to play and play well, regardless of the weapons at his disposal. The offensive line will be tested by the Jets front seven and that may mean a heavy dose of Edelman (if his foot is good to go) and Danny Amendola in the early going.
I guess I'm feeling quietly optimistic about the Pats offense in this game and going forward. There's depth that allows New England to manage injuries. No team is 100% healthy in December and lingering injuries like Bennett's ankle and Jules' foot are troubling, of course, but a 100% Gronk can make everything better.
Meanwhile, we wait to see how the defense will play this Sunday. I know this is yet another "Yeah but it was only [fill in mediocre QB's name] and the [fill in mediocre franchise] so..." kind of games. All the more reason for a good showing by the defense. If they can't turnover Ryan Fitzpatrick then I don't know when they ever will. Will Jabaal Sheard be active? Will one from the Pu-Pu Platter of Kyle Van Noy, Barkevious Mingo and Shea McClellin make a play that invokes the name of Jamie Collins? Not in a "Boy, they really missed Jamie Collins on that play" but in a "That's the kind of play they've been missing" kind of way.
It's hard to feel good about a Jets game under the best of circumstances, of course, and these are hardly the best of circumstances. The NYJ can't save their season but they can salvage some pride and that's often enough when that's all that you've got. If Darrelle Revis has anything left you know he's going to leave it out on the field on Sunday. Gotham's pigskin pundits and bobbleheads have been openly begging the Jets to take down their hated rivals to the east. The proximity to Thanksgiving and the return of the Butt Fumble to video channels near you hasn't helped the collective mood of Jets fans, either (though it is still hilarious). I don't think I'd be visiting the swamps of Jersey this Sunday wearing a Tom Brady jersey unless I owned at least a red belt qualification in Taekwondo.
The best case this Sunday would be for the Patriots to have a big enough lead to let Brady sit and watch Jimmy G throw a garbage time TD pass to Malcolm Mitchell. Somehow, this feels more like a grind it out 20-17 game.
As long as it's a W.
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