Gutierrez signed to practice squad

He gives team some options at quarterback

FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots finally made a move for another quarterback yesterday, and it's a familiar face.

New England re-signed second-year signal-caller Matt Gutierrez to its practice squad, releasing safety Mark Dillard. The 24-year-old Gutierrez was cut by the Patriots Aug. 30. During the preseason, he battled Matt Cassel for the role of primary backup to Tom Brady, who is now out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Gutierrez, 24, was 29 of 45 (64.4 percent completion percentage) for 362 yards and two touchdowns during the preseason, but he also threw two interceptions, fumbled twice (losing one), and was sacked six times.

Coach Bill Belichick was asked what his decision not to bring in a veteran backup quarterback says about his confidence in Cassel.

"I don't know what else it could say. That's it. He's our quarterback," he said.

As for Gutierrez, Belichick said his practice squad eligibility was a factor in his signing. "We felt like that was the best thing we could do in terms of adding a third quarterback on our roster right now."

It would be potentially difficult for the Patriots to shuttle Gutierrez between the practice squad and the emergency quarterback role every Sunday, though. The team would have to release a player and then sign Gutierrez to the 53-man roster from the practice squad to have him eligible to play Sunday against the New York Jets. If the team wants to send him back to the practice squad, he has to be released and then clear waivers before re-signing.

The Patriots obviously wanted Gutierrez since they gave him a salary that exceeds that of a practice squad player.

But Belichick said rookie Kevin O'Connell remains the team's No. 2 quarterback.

Foes cheering injury

One sickening side effect of Brady's injury is that fans of other teams across the country have reveled in it.

There have been anecdotal reports of fans cheering news of Brady's season-ending injury in sports bars, and a non-NFL apparel-licensed company is selling a "Bernard Pollard Fan Club" T-shirt, celebrating the safety who dove into Brady's left knee.

"That reaction is normal," said Patriots safety Rodney Harrison. "Anything that happens to us, people, they get excited about. Obviously, they don't care for us much around the league. But I understand it's a competitive league. Teams, as well as fans, are looking for any edge they can possibly get, and if that means us losing our star quarterback, guess what, they feel like that gives them an edge. At the same time, you still got to get it done on the field."

Harrison said that fans lose sight of the human element involved in the NFL - that the players are brothers, fathers, sons.

"They look at us like machines," Harrison said. "A lot of times, people really don't consider that we're human beings, we have feelings, it hurts. We go through a bunch of different things, but they get so wrapped up in the game. It's not real life."

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs was disgusted that fans would celebrate an injury. "It amazes me, shocks me every time," he said. "It gets lower and lower. Where is it going to stop? But, it is what it is."

Moss a surprise on list

The Patriots released their practice participation report yesterday, and one surprise on the list was wide receiver Randy Moss, who had limited participation in practice because of a back injury. Starting wideout Jabar Gaffney (knee) also had limited participation. The other players on the list were wide receiver Sam Aiken and tight end Benjamin Watson, both of whom missed the opener with knee injuries.

The Jets listed as out wide receiver David Clowney (shoulder) and kicker Mike Nugent, who suffered a thigh injury in New York's season-opening win over the Miami Dolphins. The Jets signed former Dolphins kicker Jay Feely Monday. Five Jets players were listed as having limited participation in practice: cornerback David Barrett (shoulder), defensive end Shaun Ellis (hand), cornerback/return man Justin Miller (foot), and wide receivers Laveranues Coles (thigh) and Marcus Henry (calf).

The Favre factor

Count Moss among those happy Brett Favre decided to force his way back into the NFL.

"Unfortunately, I'm a good friend of Chad Pennington's, and the way it happened for him was bad, and I felt for him and his family. But just being able to have Favre back in the league and playing against each other twice a year, I always loved those meetings when we were back in the NFC North with the Vikings and the Packers, but now it's the Jets and Patriots.

"It's still something that I'm going to love - to see him out there throwing that ball. I don't think I'm the only one happy that he came back. I think that as a football fan you don't want to see a person leave the game knowing they have a lot of football to be played."

Hobbs said facing Favre changes the dynamic of defending the Jets. "He's a passer that is able to get the ball in many more places than Pennington was. He has a stronger arm, can hit the comeback routes, can hit the deep balls, and then he has the ability to keep a play alive. With Pennington, they want to short-drop it, get the ball in the skill players' hands. Same concept, but it's expanded a little bit because Favre is that better of a passer."

Still team to beat

Moss was asked if the loss of Brady and the Jets' addition of Favre shifted the balance of power in the AFC East. "I think the New England Patriots have won this division over the last couple of years, so I think the New England Patriots are still the team to beat," said Moss. "We did have a big loss in Tom Brady, but we still have 10 guys out there on that field to go out there and make it happen. Tom was a big component to making our offense move and execute, but now with him gone we have to find other ways to make the offense move. We are still the team to beat in this division." . . . Running back Kevin Faulk, who was suspended for the opener by the NFL for violating the league's policy on substance abuse in the offseason, returned to the team Monday. "It was very painful, but the week went by and now I'm here," said Faulk. "I'm ready to play football." . . . Belichick confirmed the Patriots used the defensive coach-to-player communication system Sunday but its use was "minimal." . . . In addition to Gutierrez, the Patriots also signed punter Tom Malone to their practice squad.

Mike Reiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report.