01:00 AM EST on Thursday, December 22, 2005

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- It's a Christmas miracle!

En masse, injured Patriots who were questionable on the team's injury report for weeks no longer are questionable. They aren't even probable. They are good to go. The only Patriot listed on this week's report is quarterback Tom Brady (probable, right shoulder).

Left tackle Matt Light , a fixture on the injury report for weeks because of an ankle injury, last night was placed on injured reserve and is done for the season.

For a number of weeks, players such as running backs Corey Dillon, Patrick Pass, Heath Evans and Kevin Faulk have been on the list. The same went for tight ends Daniel Graham and Ben Watson. The weekly injury report always is a source of intrigue with the Pats because of Belichick's aversion to sharing information about hurt players. The team showed more candor at the start of this year (at the league's behest), categorizing players in all four possible categories -- probable, questionable, doubtful and out.

Then the Falcons listed Michael Vick all week as probable for a game with the Patriots before downgrading him to questionable on Saturday after a walk-through. On Sunday he was out of the lineup, and since then the Patriots have had a fleet of questionable players on every injury report.

Light had been down since the third game of the season, when he blew out his ankle against the Steelers. It appeared he might be able to make it back about a month ago, but a fluid buildup required Light to have the ankle drained. Now his season is over.

Since he's been down, rookie Nick Kaczur and veteran Tom Ashworth have held down the spot. Kaczur missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, the shin injury that landed Brady on the report seems to have cleared itself up. His shoulder is the only reason he's listed on the report.

2 Jets questionable

As for the Jets, defensive end Shaun Ellis and defensive tackle DeWayne Roberston are both listed as questionable. The Jets didn't practice yesterday for Monday night's game with the Pats.

Pros and cons

Since the Patriots have started Eugene Wilson and Artrell Hawkins -- a pair of converted corners -- at safety over the last few games, Belichick was asked about the pros and cons of having four guys who entered the league as cornerbacks starting in the secondary.

"You're probably giving up some size strictly on a height and weight standpoint," said Belichick, adding that the smaller safeties will have some more significant mismatches when they're called upon to play in with the linebackers in run support.

But the bigger issue, he said, was, "Taking guys who are used to playing out on the perimeter and moving them inside."

Working in their favor as safety converts is the fact that they find themselves in a speed mismatch at safety. "They feel a lot less threatened, and I think most of them like that."

Kendall's lament

Jets center Pete Kendall , a player the Patriots courted in free agency in both 2001 and 2003, yesterday lamented the lack of winning he's experienced in his career with the Seahawks, Cardinals and Jets.

"I thought I'd win more games," Kendall said when asked what his biggest disappointment in the NFL has been. "That's been probably the biggest disappointment in my career. I think over my 10 years I'm probably close to 20-plus games under .500. Only having been in the playoffs two times for a total of three games, I thought with the longevity those numbers would be quite a bit better."

Crashing and burning

Injuries, especially at quarterback, have derailed a Jets season they entered with optimism. New York is 3-11.

Asked whether the Jets had to change their mindset as the season went into a graveyard spiral, Kendall said, "It had to change. Most of that was beyond our control because of the injuries. Certainly you had to readjust the focus and the mindset. When we were eliminated from playoff contention, the focus had to be on improving and getting better at your position, learning the system, doing the things that it takes to still be a professional football player."

Brady's unimpressed

Despite the rampant optimism in New England over the Patriots' last eight quarters of football, in which they have outscored the opposition, 63-7, Brady isn't overly excited.

"I'm not very happy with where we're at," he said. "I know coach Belichick is not very happy with where we're at. I think there are things we can do a lot better. I think that's why we're out here practicing, and I think that's why this game is so important for us. Playing a division rival on the road in late December on Monday night, we just have to go out and try to put our best out there."