Nothing from the mailbag - so we'll focus on the new Jets news from Monday.

The Jets got banged up in Sunday's win over the Dolphins. Curtis Martin is going to have an MRI on his knee. So far this year, he's had absolutely no room to run, and my dad made the point that he looks like the Curtis Martin of two years ago so far more than the Curtis Martin of last year (and as a point of reference, he says last year's Martin looked like the regular Curtis Martin...in other words, great). I still say the Curtis Martin of two years ago was pretty darn good...but the point is well taken. He hasn't looked like he's had much of a burst. And apparently he suffered the knee injury in the first quarter on Sunday. There was one play where he took a hit along the sideline, and it took him a good 10-15 seconds after the play to get up. You never see that from him. Still, he doesn't say he's hurt. That's the problem - even if Curtis Martin were seriously injured, he would never say it. Hopefully the MRI turns out well. Derrick Blaylock would be OK as a short-term solution, but the Jets need Curtis Martin for the season.

No matter who's playing running back, there's going to be some injured guys as their lead blocker. Both Jerald Sowell and B.J. Askew were hurt in the game. Both sprained ankles. Heimerdinger loves using Sowell - I wonder if this would hurt the Jets. Also, Erik Coleman apparently broke his thumb - the Jets can't afford to lose many guys in the secondary.

If you want a quick recap that pretty much sums up the Patriots-Panthers game on Sunday, check out the "Orange Couch" on wect.com - my friend Kevin was there, and he wrote about it. I feel the same way about the Pats - they still have to be considered the team to beat. But what I like about them losing is it's a situation they rarely face...and it's always a question mark as to how they're going to bounce back. And for them, it doesn't get easier - at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Could the Patriots lose two in a row?

Next week, as I mentioned yesterday, the Jets have Jacksonville. That's why I said before Derrick Blaylock could be a very good short-term solution - the Jets will be able to run on the Jaguars, and Blaylock can run as well as Martin could in that situation. After that, though, the Jets need Martin back. This could be a rough couple of weeks for the Jets - they're already beat up a bit, and after the Jaguars, they play the Ravens. Then Tampa. Then Buffalo. Really, it's a very tough schedule all year for the Jets.

I like having two staggered NFL games on a Monday night. I will be in bed before the late game is over, but I should make it through the first one.

Good news - I heard from Dave in Brighton - he's back from California, and safe. The bad news - he didn't make picks for Week One. Disappointment from the entire johnnyjets.blogspot.com staff. We'll have to do winning percentage at the end - although me and the wife will be going head-to-head wins-wise.