Alright, maybe it's a bit of an overstatement to say Jordan's still alive, at least in a football sense, but he looked okay in what proved to be very extended time for him this season. But as you already know, the real story in this one is the gutsy performance of Matt Cassel. Just days after learning that his father had passed away, Cassel (218 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT) put together one of his finest starts yet against one of the better secondaries in the league. With all the money he lost himself in his 4-turnover performance against Pittsburgh, he might have just earned it back and then some with yesterday's inspiring display.

What's more is that the Pats needed this win more than any all season (perhaps aside from their most recent Jets matchup, a 34-31 OT loss, but at the time that one didn't have so much weight to it). The Jets and Dolphins both won, with New York doing it in the most heartbreaking of fashions from a Pats fan's perspective. To have any shot at the postseason, the Pats need to win out and get some help along the way, and a loss yesterday would have meant you could kiss the 2008-09 season goodbye. Fortunately, Cassel and Co. would have none of that. Few things from yesterday's game:

• Temper your expectations for the running game - Yeah, Morris, Jordan, Faulk and Cassel teamed up to rip the Raiders apart on the ground to the tune of 277 yards and a pair of scores on the ground, but a sizable chunk of those came with the game already decided, and there's no telling how Jordan will react after having what was easily his most demanding weekend of the year. There's cause to hope, but don't expect near-300 yard efforts these last couple weeks and into the playoffs (hopefully).
• Cassel's better than we all - especially I - originally thought - I used to love nothing more than making fun of this guy about the fact that he hadn't started a football game since high school and probably never would with the Pats. But yesterday, all that changed. Although there are rumors and reports that Cassel's pops had been estranged from the family, I'd assume that the death of a family member is more difficult to play through than the simultaneous discomfort from a torn MCL and a sports hernia. This easily rivaled the Monday night game where Favre exploded following his father's death.
• Welker's ode to consistency - He might not be putting up the ridiculous fantasy numbers we've all come to expect (probably unfairly), but another 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown are all they needed yesterday. He now has 100 catches on the season, proving his worth is not dependent on who's throwing to him.
• How many different ways can we talk about how shitty this secondary is? - When the likes of JaMarcus Russell is throwing for 242 yards and a pair of scores on you, how else can you describe the guys who get paid to stop passed balls other than "utterly horrible"? The only saving grace is the fact that the Raiders were bound to score a couple through the air due to the fact that they were down by so much so early, so you can live with a couple passing TDs when the Pats had 7 all-purpose scores of their own.
• Speaking of all-purpose scores... - It was nice to see Ellis Hobbs return that kick 95 yards for the score in the second quarter. He might not be able to defend the pass, but at least he can bust the occasional kick return off for a score. Wonder what the Pats' No. 1 priority will be this offseason?
• Belichick's challenging of a first down spot with just over two minutes to play was... - ...absolutely excellent. Why should he be expected to play it any differently than if he had a 3-point lead or was facing a deficit? All you babies whining that he should have saved the flag and left the Raiders with a little dignity need to grow up. This is football. Besides, maybe it helps him prepare for when the throwing of the flag really does matter.