FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- At 4:13 p.m. Thursday, the New England Patriots tweeted news that jolted their loyal worshipers more than a double shot of espresso in their Dunkin' Donuts coffee:
Tom Brady, with an ailing right hand, didn't participate in practice.
Three days before the AFC Championship Game, mind you.
The Patriots have a mini-crisis, and they'll have no one to blame but themselves if this turns into the worst-case scenario -- if Brady struggles and the defending Super Bowl champions lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If that's how it plays out, the Patriots will be subjected to an offseason of massive criticism, and it would be justified because they sold off the NFL's best insurance policy -- Jimmy Garoppolo-- for 50 cents on the dollar.