The New England Patriots are visiting a foreign place called "Quarterback Instability." The New York Jets know this place well. They've lived there long enough to have their mortgage paid off. They'd love to leave, but repeated efforts have failed.

The Patriots won't be there long enough to exceed the data limit on their monthly cell-phone bill, and that's why Jets fans -- those eager to predict the demise of the Patriots -- should muffle their laughter. The AFC East still runs through New England.

If rookie Jacoby Brissett stinks as the replacement for the replacement, the Patriots can take solace in knowing Tom Brady will be back in the building on Oct. 3, ready to take over for the final 12 games. Worst-case scenario: Brady inherits a 2-2 team, one game off the pace in the AFC East. He can make up that gap just as easily as LeBron James could rally from a one-letter deficit in a game of "H-O-R-S-E."

By winning their first two games without Brady, who was Goodell'ed for four games, the Patriots made themselves disaster-proof. In a way, they're playing with house money, thanks to the now-injured Jimmy Garoppolo (2-0) and Brissett (one save).

To take full advantage of Brady's DeflateGate suspension, the Jets needed the Patriots to be 1-3 (or worse) at the quarter pole, but their No. 1 nemesis refused to play along. Even without Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots are looking to go 3-0 on Thursday night against the Houston Texans.

It would be so Patriots if they defeat the Texans with a rookie quarterback whose average pass distance last Sunday was 1.0 yards in the air. And you know what? It's not out of the question. Coach Bill Belichick thrives in these situations. With every win sans Brady, he collects Coach-of-the-Year votes.

Brissett's expected start on Thursday night, coupled with Brady's return in Week 5, will make this the first time since 1992 the Patriots have started three different quarterbacks in a season. That year, Dick MacPherson started Hugh Millen, Scott Zolak, Tommy Hodson and Jeff Carlson, with old Mac probably wishing he never left his comfy job at Syracuse. The Patriots finished 2-14, and along came Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe, who preceded Brady.

The Jets started three in 1996 (Neil O'Donnell, Frank Reich and Glenn Foley), three in 1999 (Vinny Testaverde, Rick Mirer, Ray Lucas) and three in 2005 (Chad Pennington, Brooks Bollinger and Testaverde) -- a small snapshot of their quarterback upheaval over the decades. They failed to produce a winning record in any of those seasons, mainly because they didn't have a future Hall of Famer returning to save the season.

Brady is passing the time by playing catch with his wife and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh; the Patriots are passing the time by winning games. They're not facing a quarterback crisis; this is just a temporary inconvenience. They could lose Brissett, switch to the single wing and it still wouldn't be a crisis. Tawmy Brady is coming back in a couple of weeks, and the Jets will be playing for second place.