Sports Redux: The Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain

We wish we could give you better news. We wish that the Jets had done their job, shocked Miami, and that the Patriots' season didn't come to a sudden thudding end as they flew home from Buffalo last night. For that matter, we wish the Jets' win had saved the career of Eric Mangini (nope) and the overmatched coach, the fossilized QB, and the road apple of a franchise could stick it out together for one more year.

But it didn't happen. Even though the Pats did what they had to go, blanking Buffalo 13-0 in a dreadful game the less spoken of the better, the Jets failed, casting the Pats to the whims of NFL tiebreakers and putting them on the outs of the playoffs. But looking at it with some perspective, when Bernard Pollard came through the line on Opening Day and made the hit heard 'round the world, we think we would have been surprised to find out that the Patriots would go on to be the best 11-5 team not to make the playoffs. Bob Ryan sums up why this team should be near and dear to our hearts nonetheless.

Now we can start fretting about next year, and the news today is fretworthy indeed. Tom Brady's knee still isn't healing the way people would like (we hope he got down on the other one to pop the question, if he did), which means the Pats have some serious thinking to do. Obviously, they have two great QBs on the payroll, when some teams would kill for one. Is it worth shorting paying other positions for dependable quarterback insurance? We say an emphatic yes. At least for now.

But at least we have things to watch while Bill and company sort out their personnel issues. Phil Kessel and Michael Ryder scored, while Manny Fernandez played brilliantly in goal, as the Bruins dumped Atlanta 2-1 for their eighth straight win and a tie with San Jose for the top spot in the league. And the Celtics rebounded from two straight losses in a decisive way, leaving an empty crater where the Sacramento Kings used to be, 108-63.

Even the Red Sox made news, as they're close to signing Brad Penny, a serviceable RHP who had a crappy 6-9 2008, and bringing back Josh Bard to be their backup(?) catcher for 2009. It might not get boots quaking in the Bronx, but it will do.