Broken bodies leave little room for humor

Monday, September 22, 2003

COLUMN: Steve Solloway

FOXBORO, Mass. - What's this? Big Ted Washington needs help getting off the football field.

Two teammates run to serve as human crutches. They move his 365-pound bulk slowly to the bench.

Your hot dog is still hot, your beverage is still cold. The sky is blue, the sun is bright and it's the first home game of the season for the New England Patriots.

The New York Jets are in town. Division rivals and bitter opponents. The Patriots and their fans love beating the Jets, but lately that hasn't happened much. This time the expectations are higher.

What's this? David Patten stumbles after catching a Tom Brady pass and leaves the field. He stutter-steps as he walks. Slowly. His head is down, as if he's deep in thought. Or pain.

The first quarter is finally winding down.

What's this? Brady sits on the team bench, alone. He's been sacked, tackled and abused throughout the first half.

His backup, Damon Huard, stands on the sideline, helmet on his head and looking for all the world like he, not Brady, will quarterback the Patriots the next time they have the ball.

What's this? The game hasn't reached halftime and Ty Law is on the grass, clutching his ankle. Team trainers, the first-aid guys, rush to his side. Eventually, Law limps across the field.

Football is a violent game. A mean game. But this is extraordinary.

Did Lawyer Milloy drop a curse before he left town? The Red Sox have their curse. Why not the Patriots?

This all started soon after Coach Bill Belichick cut Milloy from the team. Ted Johnson went down. Then Rosevelt Colvin fractured his hip.

No wonder Belichick looked as if his prized library went up in flames the night before. His face was ashen. His answers to questions were curt.

Hey, buddy, your team just won a football game. There are only 16 in the regular season and your guys just beat their guys, 23-16.

It wasn't gripping entertainment, but a win is a win. At least that's what you've always told us.

The head coach acknowledged the win and typically he is a dour, monochromatic guy. But this was different.

He said Washington had a fracture in his leg. The nose guard would miss a couple of weeks, a few weeks. Colvin is gone for the year.

Washington and Colvin weren't part of the Patriots last season. Belichick got them to bolster his defense and now they're both out of action.

Patten? Brady? Law? Belichick didn't know. He couldn't answer or wouldn't answer. Football, like life, does get grim when broken bodies pile up.

Brady never did allow Huard to replace him. Afterward, he danced and played word games. "I'm fine. Really."

Law got back into the game late in the second half. "I tried to get back in earlier but the coaches look out for you. Coach told me to run down the sidelines but when I did and looked back, he wasn't even looking at me."

Law laughed. There could be humor after a win. But he doesn't know how he'll feel the day after. Or next week. Just that he would show up to play.

"It's a little aggravation. The pain didn't go away, but I have to get used to it."

Across the locker room, Tedy Bruschi said he didn't know that Washington was hurt and out of the game. Ty Law? What happened to him?

"I'm telling you, I really didn't notice who was in the game and who wasn't," said Bruschi, who really was fibbing. He knew there was a different number on the uniform of the guy playing nose tackle.

Different numbers at cornerback, too. This being the ultimate team game, of course everyone knew who was on the field with them.

But Bruschi had to treat the new faces as equals. You can't tap a rookie on the shoulder and question his talent on third-and-long.

"It doesn't matter who's in the game. I know they're going to do their jobs."

Sunday, they did. The Jets have their own problems moving the football and scoring touchdowns, thanks to broken bones and torn this or that.

The point is, Gillette Stadium can't continue to look like the setting for a new M*A*S*H episode. Belichick can always find bodies to fill the holes. Whether or not they're players is another matter.

What's this? The Patriots won.

Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at: ssolloway@pressherald.com

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