The Bills lost linebacker Takeo Spikes for the year with a torn achilles.
The Patriots lost safety and team leader Rodney Harrison for the season with a torn ACL. Meanwhile, starting left tackle Matt Light could miss most of the season with what is reportedly a broken bone below his right knee.
The Jets lost quarterback Chad Pennington for the season with a torn right rotator cuff. To make matters worse for the Jets, backup QB Jay Fiedler went down the very next quarter with a partially torn labrum and is expected to miss at least six weeks.
So which team had a worse day?
The Bills were in trouble anyway, and until Kelly Holcomb replaces J.P. Losman, their offense will continue to sputter. Losing Spikes means they’ll give up more points but it won’t substantially affect the final outcome of their season.
Harrison is probably the best player of this bunch and, with New England’s already depleted secondary, losing him could be crucial. Then again, the Patriots have proven that they can handle just about any amount of adversity thrown their way, so maybe they rebound from this. Don’t, however, discount the Light injury. Losing your starting left tackle for an extended period is a huge blow. I don’t care what team you are.
Of course, the Patriots will probably figure out a way to still make the playoffs, or at least stay in contention until the bitter end. The Jets, on the other hand, are toast. The Pennington injury was bad enough but losing Fiedler in the same game is downright crippling. Hello…Brooks Bollinger? The guy’s played in exactly one NFL game during his three-year career, attempted a total of nine passes, and completed five.
So who do the Jets call first, Vinny Testaverde or Jeff George?
