The guy keeping the Brady-less Pats afloat, that’s who.

After eight games and three quarters without Tom Brady this 2008-09 NFL football season, the Patriots are still on top of the AFC East, tied for first place in the division with the high-flying New York Jets.

And while the New England Patriots are no longer as high-flying as they were last season, they are just doing the things that need to be done to stay afloat even with the absence of their starting quarterback and running back.

Sure, Matt Cassel has done a solid job filling in for the injured Brady, but let’s face it, Cassel won’t be making the top ten list of the best quarterbacks in the NFL anytime soon. So how come the Patriots have been doing just fine without Brady? Easy. They were able to establish a solid running game to compensate where they lack from the passing game.

With starting running back Laurence Maroney out indefinitely, undrafted rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis has fit in perfectly for the Patriots offense. He has scored a touchdown in four straight games now and after he just scored his first 100-yard game in a 20-10 win over the Buffalo Bills, you just know that this guy has just begun.

Fitting in wasn’t always Green-Ellis’ forte so to speak. He remembers picking up his pencil trying to fill out those standardized test forms that has one slot for each letter where students are supposed to write in their names. And since Mr. BenJarvus Green-Ellis beats Ben Roethlisberger for the longest name ever in the NFL, writing his name down into one of them boxes as a kid was always a struggle.

‘’I always ran out of space ever since I was small,'’ BenJarvus Green-Ellis said. ‘’They put more space on those now. But my last name never will fit.'’

Thankfully, the Patriots have more than enough space on the back of their uniforms to fit Green-Ellis’ last name perfectly. And yes, he fits perfectly for the Patriots offense as well.

‘’You have to play an eight-man front to stop him,'’ said Ed Orgeron, who coached Green-Ellis at Ole Miss and now coaches the New Orleans Saints defensive line. ‘’He breaks through tackles. He knifes through shoulders. He has tremendous running ability to get the short yardage and break through tackles.'’

Let’s see how long this guy can keep New England’s Super Bowl XLIII hopes alive.

Who will win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.

New York Giants 17.00

New England Patriots 4.50

Dallas Cowboys 7.00

Indianapolis Colts 8.50

Want more odds? Visit Bodog sportsbook for more football betting odds. Want to watch the NFL live? Get NFL tickets online now.

New England Patriots BenJarvus Green-Ellis