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The New England Patriots may be dealing with a slew of injuries, but their most important player is still healthy.

Tom Brady also tends to have few issues against the New York Jets.

A week after engineering a stunning winning drive in the final seconds, Brady will try to make things go a lot easier Sunday as he tries to continue his dominance of the host Jets.

New England (5-1) leads the AFC East by 1 1/2 games over Miami despite an injury report that's grown to 10 players. Star linebacker Jerod Mayo joined tackle Vince Wilfork on season-ending injured reserve this week, while cornerback Aqib Talib's hip injury along with receiver Danny Amendola's and guard Dan Connolly's concussions could keep them out Sunday.

The Patriots, though, will apparently have star tight end Rob Gronkowski available, as his agent said he's been cleared to make his season debut after undergoing surgeries on his left forearm and back.

"A lot of teams face challenges. It's just really how you deal with them," Brady said. "We've lost some guys, dealt with some issues, like every other team. We're handling them OK. We're 5-1. It's a decent start."

Brady may have been less optimistic had he not engineered a game-winning drive to help the Patriots rally past New Orleans 30-27 on Sunday. The two-time NFL MVP capped the eight-play, 70-yard drive in the final 73 seconds by hitting rookie Kenbrell Thompkins with a precision, arcing pass in the corner of the end zone with five seconds to play.

"We just knew that it was going to come down to the last minute," said Thompkins, who has four touchdowns in four games. "Until that clock said all zeros on it, we were going to fight until the finish."

That's not usually necessary against the Jets (3-3).

Brady has an 18-4 career regular-season record against New England's division rivals as a starter, leading the Patriots to wins in each of the last six meetings after beating them 13-10 at home in Week 2.

He's completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,743 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception and a 110.6 passer rating during that winning streak. That includes a pair of victories at MetLife Stadium as Brady connected on 44 of 66 passes for 652 yards and six touchdowns while running for another and not getting reached for a sack.

Our best guess on the list for Sunday's road game against the New York Jets:

Danny Amendola: Receiver sustained a concussion last Sunday, has been held out of practice all week, and is already ruled out by the team.

Chris Barker: Rookie offensive guard could be active if there are concerns with those above him on the depth chart, Dan Connolly (concussion) and Marcus Cannon (shoulder).

Tommy Kelly: Veteran defensive tackle has missed the last two weeks of practice with a right knee injury and has already been ruled out.

Matthew Slater: Special-teams captain has been at practice but still has a cast on his left wrist, which makes us think it might be too early to expect him back.

Aqib Talib: Cornerback missed practices Wednesday and Thursday with a left hip injury and didn't look fully comfortable in his return to practice Friday.

Leon Washington: Veteran running back missed the last two weeks of practice with an ankle injury and has already been ruled out.

Tavon Wilson: Reserve safety and core special-teams player has been limited with a hamstring injury and has missed the last two games.

Claimed on waivers Sept. 11, and a healthy scratch in his first two games with the team, Jones is now filling a crucial role after injuries to starters Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly. In last Sunday’s 30-27 victory over the Saints, he played every defensive snap.

“In a short amount of time, he’s become a pretty dependable guy for us,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s a hard-working kid that has some skills.”

The 23-year-old Jones also has picked up some frequent-flier miles this year, as he joined the Patriots after being drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round, and spending a week with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early September.

Geoffrey P wrote:Wow this defense looks terrible right now. Jets not having any problems, even on 3rd and 5+