Brett Favre and the New York Jets deserve plenty of credit for getting punched, taking the shot and coming back and delivering a couple of their own — especially given the history of the series between the two teams.

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see Tom Brady or Rodney Harrison on the field in New York's 34-31 victory on Thursday night. The Patriots were also missing their star linebacker, Adalius Thomas, who went down with what appeared to be a season-ending forearm injury last week, and starting defensive end Ty Warren, who sat out the loss to the Jets with a groin injury.

The running corps had become such a mess that undrafted rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis was thrust into the starting job for the last few weeks.

"That's the way it has been out there starting with Tom (Brady) at the beginning of the year," Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "You have to deal with it."

The Patriots won't use excuses, but I'm going to do it for them.

Favre chuckled after the game when asked if the victory marked the changing of the guard.

"It was one game," he said. "A big one."

He's right. The Jets moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC East for the first time since Nov. 19, 2001. It was also their fourth straight victory — the franchise's longest in more than four years.

The 39-year-old Favre has come out of semi-retirement, taken a team that won just four games all of last season and helped put them in the drivers' seat for the division crown.

The Patriots had absolutely owned the Jets over the past dozen games before this one, winning 11 of 12. New England's home-field advantage at Gillette Stadium was an insane 50-10 since the venue opened in 2002.

"Based on the history, I'm sure most people were betting against us," Favre said.

"To be able to beat a conference opponent at their place in this type of environment, a team that has been tough for us in the past, it's a really positive step for our team," added Jets coach Eric Mangini.

But this is hardly a sign that the Jets have displaced New England as the cream of the crop in the division.

Sure, Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel, played the game of his life, throwing for a career-high 400 yards and three touchdowns and hitting Randy Moss on a perfect pass with one tick left in regulation to force overtime.

But he's still not Brady — and never will be.

Cassel and the Patriots dug themselves an early hole when the Jets took a 24-6 lead with less than five minutes left in the first half. New England appeared on the verge of getting blown out, just as the St. Louis Rams did a week ago at the hands of the Jets in a 47-3 rout.

However, Cassel started to find a groove and gave New England some much-needed momentum with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 15 seconds left in the half.

Cassel threw another touchdown pass, this time to tight end Ben Watson, on the final play of the third quarter. The Patriots tied the score at 24-24 early in the fourth on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal.

But the thrilling comeback looked to be over when the Jets marched down the field with a 14-play drive that culminated in Thomas Jones' 1-yard touchdown run with 3:10 remaining in the game.

Cassel responded in impressive fashion by leading a last-minute drive of his own, finding Moss, who was draped by ex-Patriots cornerback Ty Law, for the game-tying score with one second remaining.

"Quiet," was the lone word Favre used to describe the Jets sideline after Cassel found Moss. "I couldn't even watch it. I saw the replay."

Then it was Favre's turn to perform yet another round of heroics in a career full of them. He played catch with tight end Dustin Keller a few times on the drive and got the Jets in position to win it with a Jay Feely 34-yard field goal.

"This one ranks right up there," Favre said. "In the moment it's easy to say, but it may be at the top."

Are you serious?

In an 18-year career filled with more than 40 4th-quarter comebacks, this victory ranks at the top? No chance.

Now, if it had come against the real New England Patriots, it would have been different.

But this Patriots group that took the field on Thursday night — the group that has won half of its games against truly inept teams — is mediocre.

"It wasn't the Super Bowl," Favre said.

That's for sure.