A tribute music video to my fallen brohan Tom Brady.

I know it hurts. You liked the view from the top of the mountain. You loved being picked by the pundits to win the Super Bowl. You loved being #1 in everyone's power rankings. You wondered if Brady and Moss would outdo their 2007 performance. You saw the schedule and could see another16-0 season in the making. You thought San Diego and Indy were the only real threats. You enjoyed crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women.

Well, those days are gone. For now.

We're no longer the hated favorite. No one is picking us to win the Super Bowl. Peter King's got us at #6 in his Fine Fifteen, and that's probably generous. Moss will be lucky to get half the touchdown catches he had last year. We're probably going to lose a game or five. Get over it. We're underdogs again.

Bill Belichick's Patriots will never feel sorry for themselves and we as fans must do the same. We still have a pretty good team and as Week One of 2008 proved, pretty good teams can take down the mighty Chargers, Colts and Jaguars.

Remember how you felt when Bledsoe went down in 2001? Okay, some of you can't remember that because you weren't on the bandwagon at that time. Now might be a good time for you people to find another team to root for. For the rest of the Pats fans, who were here before things got good, you remember what it's like to step into the unknown on the arm of an unproven quarterback.

Of course, Matt Cassel is not Tom Brady and no one expects him to be. He might not even be Hugh Millen (bandwagoners, if you're still here, probably don't get that one) but he's the Patriots quarterback now. Like it or not, that's the truth. And if you're a true Patriots fan you owe it to him to get behind him no matter what mistakes he's made or will make.

Forgive me if I sound like John Madden, but this is a guy who's been waiting a long time to get a shot at being a starting quarterback. He sat on the bench watching some great players ahead of him in both college and the pros.

He was good, he just wasn't great. Or at least he never had a shot to be great. Well now he has his shot, with a Super Bowl-caliber supporting cast around him. He might not be Tom Brady, but how many quarterbacks are? The Patriots can and will win games with Cassel. I find it easy to root for someone who has been working his butt off and patiently waiting for his one shot, when it looked like he might never see the field.

Forget what you know about the New England Patriots. They are no longer that team. Now each and every week will be a dogfight no matter who the opponent is. But that will also make the taste of victory even sweeter because it wasn't already a foregone conclusion before the mighty Patriots took the field.

Ultimately we have nothing to lose. When we win, we did it without Tom Brady. And when we lose, opposing teams will know that we didn't have Tom Brady.

We've been spoiled as fans for going on eight seasons. We've gotten to watch one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and yes, Belichick willing, we will get to watch him again. But this year will be something different. We'll have to earn every yard, every completion, every touchdown.

Irreplaceable players have been replaced countless times in the Belichick regime. To injuries, to Free Agency, to surprise cuts; Every time new players have stepped up and performed at a level that has made the Patriots the dynasty of the new millennium. This will be the biggest test of that philosophy.

One game at a time. Do your job. You know the Hoodied Mantra, trust in that.

Most of all, no matter how bad it gets, remember that Brady will one day return.

Until then enjoy the new unpredictable underdog Patriots of 2008.

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

The Patriots have reportedly signed former Bronco John Lynch to a one-year deal today. This shouldn't be a surprising move to anyone who follows the Pats given Bill Belichick's penchant for veterans.

It's hard to tell if Lynch can fill a situational middle linebacker role that Tank Williams was working at before he blew out his knee for the third time. But he can immediately help out a defensive backfield that has been missing Rodney Harrison from practice for over a week.

Some may say Lynch is past his prime, but if anyone knows how to get something out of a wily vet it's the Hoodied One. Belichick will put Lynch in a position where he can be successful and his weaknesses (loss of speed being the biggest) are hidden.

It might be a move of necessity given the injuries that may or may not be piliing up for the Pats, but given the type of player Lynch is, and how much he has hurt the Pats in the past, I am excited to see him in the red, blue and silver.

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

We're just about two weeks into Patriots training camp and we've had one ugly preseason game, a plethora of physical full-pad practices and a legion of fans ready to call Chad "The Chad" Jackson a bust. Yes, football is back and things are starting to take shape for the 2008 Pats.

The biggest issue at this time is injuries. Yesterday the team was missing 17 players from practice. With the newly reduced roster size of 80 players that's nearly a quarter of the Pats nursing some kind of ailment.

The offensive line and defensive backfield have been the hardest hit, though Tank Williams remains the only player to have his season ended on Injured Reserved and we should take that as a good thing.

We're going to maintain a positive outlook and just assume that Bill Belichick is taking his time bringing players back so the injuries don't get any worse. It's been an extremely physical camp for the Pats and they are paying the price for it.

Matt Light was present at yesterday's walkthru, though he did not take part. This is a good sign that he will return to the mix before the regular season.

Once Light does return the only major question mark will be at right guard where Stephen Neal is still on PUP and Russ Hochstein has been MIA since limping off the field in the Ravens game.

That leaves Billy Yates as the starter, who has filled in admirably in the past but looked like junk in last week's game (along with the rest of the o-line). An offensive line that can give Brady the time he needs is absolutely vital to the success of the 2008 Pats.

As for the defensive backs it's tough to get a read on anyone other than Fernando Bryant, who looks pretty good, and Terrence Wheatley, who also looked okay in his first NFL action.

The list of those DBs not practicing includes Rodney Harrison, James Sanders, Jonathan Wilhite, Jason Webster, Mike Richardson and Lewis Sanders. It's impossible to know how badly injured any of them are but none have been put on IR. At least Ellis Hobbs is back with the first team.

Still there's reason to be at least marginally concerned, especially at Safety, where Brandon Meriweather is the only one left practicing who's had any (somewhat) significant playing time in the NFL.

The most positive element to gleam from camp thus far is the youth infusion at linebacker. Jerod Mayo, Shawn Crable, and Gary Guyton have all shown flashes of potential.

The age/speed of the Patriots linebacking crew has been a weakness that the critics have harped on the past couple years. Now it looks like the next generation of starters have been found and should add some speed and enthusiasm to a defense that couldn't get a stop when they needed it most the last two seasons.

As long as the Pats can get healthy over the next few weeks they should be on track to start off the season with a bang against the Chiefs.

It will be interesting in week 2 against the Jets, not only because of the Unretired One, but also because the Jets have gone in the exact opposite direction in terms of the intensity of training camp. While the Pats have been going full pads, the Jets have had a more relaxed atmosphere with more days off.

We'll be back later in the week with what to watch for in preseason game two versus the Buccaneers.

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

Let me preface this article with this quote from Bill Belichick following last night's preseason opening loss to the Ravens:

It's the first preseason game. That's the perspective. We have won them, we have lost them and we lost this one by one. This is the first preseason game. There is plenty of things to work on and plenty of things to correct with everybody. I don't care what the score is or who you play or anything else. That's what we will do.

There were some good things last night and there were some bad things. There's no need to rush to judgement about either, there's still a long road to go before the regular season starts and the games start to count. As my Dad always says: don't let your highs get too high, nor your lows get too low.

With that said, here's my follow-up to my previous five keys article with how each played out:

The Good

The rookies did indeed 'Bring the Pain'. The excitement surrounding what Jerod Mayo will bring to the 2008 Pats is electric after his performance last night. A ferocious young linebacker is what Pats fans have been salivating for and it looks like we have one.

Shawn "Crazy Legs" Crable had a sack and an interception, and looked fairly comfortable setting the edge in his first action as a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Must've felt good for the ex-Wolverine to drill ex-Buckeye Troy Smith.

Matthew Slater showed good burst and looked like he belonged. Kevin O'Connell showed just as much, if not more, than the other two quarterbacks, in his first ever NFL action no less.

Pierre Woods had a strip sack and was an all-around stand out. Looks like he could be getting some playing time this season in the regular defense. Perhaps he's part of the reason the Pats felt okay letting Rosey Colvin walk?

Lamont Jordan also looked solid. Should Sammy Morris indeed be hurt again Jordan looks like he would be a decent complimentary back to Laurence Maroney, who looked to be running hard last night as well.

The Bad

The O-line wasn't very good in this one and if Russ Hochstein, who appeared to be injured, is lost for any amount of time things could be looking very dicey for the Pats.

Let's not panic just yet, Matt Light could be back at practice this week and then we've got four of five starters back from last year.

But yes, even then we're got a gaping hole at right guard. Who knows what Stephen Neal's status is. And if Hochstein is indeed hurt, we're looking at Billy Yatesas our starting right guard. Ew.

We don't know for sure how serious any of last night's injuries were yet, but Tank Williams and Sam Aiken both left the game and did not return. The loss of Tank would hurt but the Pats could overcome it, assuming Rodney Harrison and James Sanders, who have both missed multiple practices, aren't also too badly injured.

Aiken was having a great camp thus far and looked to be a core Special Teams contributor. Again, his loss would hurt but would not be irrecoverable.

As has always been the case with the Bill Belichick Patriots we have no way to know anything about any injured players, all we can do is wait and see if anyone gets put on IR.

The Fugly

Thursday night was not a good one if your name is Matt Cassel or Chad "The Chad" Jackson. They weren't bad. They were embarrassing.

I don't know who's fault the interception was, and I don't really care. Neither player looked like they were veteran NFL players. And them yelling at each other as they walked off the field only made it worse.

No one on the Patriots roster had more pressure on them heading into last night than Cassel and The Chad. And no one looked worse.

Again, it's only game one of the preseason. Both of them will have a chance to bounce back, with better players surrounding them. But clearly they both failed last night's test.

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

If you're a Buffalo Bills fan, you might be glad you went to sleep before the news broke late Wednesday night.

Brett Favre is a New York Jet, and it looks like the biggest hole on Jets' roster has just been filled. Sorry Chellen Clemington!

How much better are the Jets with the Packer legend?

Better, but not challenge-the-Patriots-for-the-AFC-East better.

Let's not forget that Favre wasn't good in 2005 and 2006.

No one's quite sure how he pulled last season out of his butt, but that was in an offense he was well familiar with and a team that was built around him.

Now he goes to the Jets, who are nearly two weeks into training camp.

Is Brett ready to master an entirely new offense? Doesn't seem like he's sure about much of anything these days.

And it's probably a pretty safe bet he much preferred the warm climate and familiar offense in Tamp Bay.

Word out of the Favre camp was pretty consistent since the trade rumors popped up: Brett did not want to go to New York.

Now that's where he's going.

The Jets were reportedly offering a third-round draft pick, which could escalate to a first rounder if Favre hits certain performance incentives. They also offered the Packers a chance to never have to lose to Brett Favre unless they met in the Super Bowl.

It makes too much sense for the Packers, and if that's not where Brett wanted to go, so what. He had held them hostage for too long.

So now Brett shows up just in time to watch the Jets' first preseason game against Cleveland. It will be another couple days before he gets into an actual practice. Then he'll have three preseason games to get it all down.

The Jets play the Patriots in a little over a month, which is not much time. Losing at home in Week Two would make November's trip to Foxboro even more daunting.

AFC East crown? Probably a tall order.

Wild-card Berth? Totally possible. Sorry Bills, Browns, and Titans.

Things will definitely be more interesting this year in the AFC East. With the Pats previously creampuff schedule, I'm glad two more games just got a whole lot more interesting.

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

Okay, I know it's the preseason and having Keys to Victory is kind of pointless since a victory doesn't really matter. After all, the Colts have lost 13 of their last 15 preseason games and they've done just fine (if you don't count the postseason of course).

So instead here are five things to keep an eye on Thursday night when the 2008 Pats kick off their preseason schedule versus the Ravens.

1. Nobody Get Hurt!

Seriously the Pats could lose 70-0 and I really wouldn't care as long as no one got injured. Okay, maybe I'd be a little concerned if they lost that bad but nothing can derail a season faster than a preseason season-ending injury. We have no choice but to leave this one in the hands of the Football Gods, so I'm going to stop writing about it for fear of bringing on any kind of curse or jinx. Just pray for no injuries.

2. Battle of the Back-Ups

So far neither Matt Cassell, Matt Gutierrez nor rookie Kevin O'Connell have been exactly lighting it up in camp and Thursday night will be a chance for one of them to pull away from the pack (I hope). Early indications are that Tom Brady, as well as many other vets, will have the night off. In a perfect world Matt Cassell would lead a couple TD drives with zero instances of tucking the ball and running because he doesn't want to risk throwing an interception. Stuff like that is fine if you're Vince Young; if you haven't started a game since high school and want to prove you're a viable NFL backup, not so much. I wouldn't complain if Kevin O'Connell flashed some kind of brilliance either.

3. Bring the Pain, Rooks

This could be the first time in a long time that rookies see significant minutes on defense once the regular season rolls around. But first they've got to prove they've got what it takes to play in an NFL game. By all accounts Jerod Mayo has been living up to expectations in practice. He's fast, physical and seems to be grasping Bill Belichick's complicated defense. Meanwhile Terrence Wheatley has also impressed despite getting lit up from time to time by Randy Moss (show me an NFL corner who doesn't).

As for the rest of the rookies like Shawn Crable, Jonathan Wilhite (who probably won't play after pulling up lame Monday night), Gary Guyton and Vince Redd, this will be a chance to show what they got. This is when we should find out who the "gamers" are. All will surely get significant playing time. And don't call them Shirley.

4. How's the O-line Depth Looking?

As I've touched on constantly the last week my biggest concern for the 2008 Patriots is on the offensive line. Matt Light, Stephen Neal and Ryan O'Callahan are all probably out. The extent of their injuries in unknown, and the depth on the line is looking scary. This is not good since I assume every opponent this year will try to their best to get pressure on Brady the way the Giants did, though none of them have the talent of the G-men's defensive line.

So the play of the line, especially in the early offensive series, will be something to watch. Billy Yates and Wesley Britt need to show they are capable starters or at the very least could fill in until everyone gets healthya€¦if everyone gets healthy, Belichick willing.

5. Free Agents Fitting In?

Fernando Bryant has thus far looked capable of taking Asante Samuel's place at cornerback, now we'll see if that translates into the game. Linebacker Victor Hobson has been fairly quiet, and has been passed by Mayo on the depth chart according to some observers. But he's an NFL vet and we know he can play at this level. It will be interesting to see his play compared to Mayo once the action is live.

Other Individuals to Keep an Eye On:

Matthew Slater a€" universally described as an "explosive" kick returner he'll need to show that explosion Thursday night if he's going to make the team.

Chad Jackson a€" of course The Chad makes this list, Patriots fans are going to watching him like a hawk all preseason. He'll take some punt returns, but it will hard to judge his performance at receiver with the backup quarterbacks throwing him the ball.

Sammy Morris & Lamont Jordan a€" these two could be fighting for a job, though I tend to believe both will make the roster. Regardless, both will need good games to ensure that.

Antwan Spann a€" he's been having a great camp, that must translate into the game if he's got a shot at making the roster.

Tank Williams a€" Belichick will most likely keep the newly installed defensive wrinkles under wraps for the preseason, but it will be interesting to see if Tank takes any reps at linebacker like he has been in practice.

We'll be back this weekend with a full analysis of how all this mess plays out Thursday night. Until then, Go Pats!

PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com

If the Patriots thought they were going to breeze through their 2008 creampuff schedule on their way back to the Super Bowl, they quickly discovered upon their arrival at training camp that they were sorely mistaken. Literally.

No, instead of 2008 AFC East Champs hats and an AFC Championship Game placeholder, all they've gotten are beatings from each other on a daily, and sometimes twice-daily, basis.

Eleven of the first-- practices for the 2008 Pats have been in full pads, with heavy contact.

There have been lots of 11-on-11 goal-line work, including Saturday, when rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo stuffed Laurence Maroney on the 1-yard line and got the win for the defense.

Patriots Fan Weekly reporter Paul Perillo called it the play of camp thus far, and that makes me warm and happy inside.

But why so physical?

It's possible Bill Belichick might be worried his team could be overconfident heading into a schedule that sees them playing teams with a 2007 winning percentage of just .387, and only 99 total wins between the lot of them.

It's hard to get excited about the 49ers and Rams.

It's also possible that, with their entire record-setting offense returning, Tom Brady and Co. might think about holding back a bit. Save something for the finish. Something they didn't have last year in the final minutes of the Super Bowl.

Belichick is reminding them that you cannot hold back in the NFL, and every single team they face is going to come at them with everything it's got.

What do Brodie Croyle and the Kansas City Chiefs have to lose if the Pats trounce them in the opener? Nothing.

Always fear a team with nothing to lose (see New York Giants).

At a time when other teams are easing up a bit due to the 80-man roster limit, the Patriots have taken it to another level.

The only problem is that, by practicing like this, injuries become a major factor.

Wes Welker and Ellis Hobbs came off the PUP list Saturday, but starting Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light has been MIA for nearly a week.

The right side of the line was already shaky; the team needs the left side to remain intact.

They've treated their veterans gently, giving multiple days off to Brady, Tedy Bruschi, and Richard Seymour. Rodney Harrison missed the first few days on the PUP.

Meanwhile, everyone else is butting heads. Constantly.

Should the Patriots make it out of the training camp and the preseason without a significant loss, they will hit the ground running.

They will be ready for every team's "A" game. Even if it is the Cardinals.

Mike Dussault may be reached at PatriotsPropaganda@gmail.com.

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