By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY  The lucky-to-be healthy Brady told Kraft the close call reaffirmed the need to always wear a seat belt and never take loved ones for granted.  Brady officially became the league's highest-paid player when the three-time Super Bowl-winner signed his four-year extension worth $48.5 million guaranteed in Kraft's office Sept. 10.  "The car accident showed how fragile everything and every day in life is," Kraft says.  "Tom said it was like getting hit out on the field. He was able to see it coming and he braced. But it was a pretty significant thud. A little bit either way could have been very serious if he hadn't been wearing a seat belt."  On his way from the locker room to the postgame interview podium on Sunday, Brady stopped and kissed eldest son, Jack, 3, wearing a No. 12 Brady Patriots jersey.  In the accident, Brady's air bag never deployed. But Kraft said the quarterback never hit his head when his Audi sedan collided with a van that Boston police cited for running a red light early Sept. 9.  Kraft will never forget his first meeting with a wiry, 22-year-old who more closely resembled a pizza delivery boy than an elite franchise quarterback.  "Tommy came down the stairs in the old Foxboro Stadium with a pizza box in his arm and he's a skinny beanpole," Kraft says. "He comes over and introduces himself.  "I said, 'I know who you are. You're our sixth-round draft choice from Michigan, Tom Brady.' He looked me in the eye and added, 'I'm the best decision this organization has ever made.'  He did it with confidence, not arrogance. What Tommy exuded and said then is what our players feel from him in the huddle and locker room now."  Three Super Bowl titles and 112 wins (in 146 starts) later, Brady has more than delivered on his Joe Namath-like guarantee to Kraft.  The $72-million quarterback paid immediate dividends by getting the ball out quickly and accurately to his deep array of weapons in throwing for three touchdowns and 258 yards in the win against the Bengals.  Brady says he and teammates are out to create new memories for the new-look Patriots after Belichick wiped the slate clean by removing all photographs from the Super Bowl-winning years this offseason.  "Walls needed painting," said Belichick, who told the team after Sunday's win that they could put some new pictures up.  Kraft is pleased with his investment in Brady.  "One thing I've learned in my different businesses is when you get the right people trying to create the right environment for continuity, you have a chance to sustain top performance," Kraft says. "This is our 17th season owning the team. I've had two quarterbacks (Brady and Drew Bledsoe) and hired two coaches (Belichick and Pete Carroll).  "Tom is so special and unique. We are so lucky to have him as the leader of our team on offense."  When asked about the accident during his radio show Monday's on WEEI-AM, Brady said he was, "Scared out of my mind ... I came home and said, 'God, I'm just fortunate to be able to be here with my son and my wife.  Band (of upstarts) on the run: To rise up in the AFC South, Texans coach Gary Kubiak preached running more downhill.  Kubiak's vision took flight with Arian Foster's 231-yard rushing performance behind a dominant offensive line that sparked Sunday's 34-24 romp over defending divisional champion Indianapolis.  Can Foster and his blockers follow up strong against Kubiak's former Denver Broncos mentor, new Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, on Sunday?  The undrafted Foster is running for his grandmother, June, who is on life support.  "He's a good, hard-working guy," general manager Rick Smith says. "The success he had at the end of last season really fueled him."  Says right tackle Eric Winston, "Arian's performance legitimized him. At the same time, he's a microcosm of our team — we're a little bit of upstarts. We have to prove ourselves as consistent.  "We've got a long way to go. But I feel good about our chances with the squad I'm on."  You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft counted his blessings inside his Gillette Stadium office two hours before one of his biggest investments $72-million quarterback Tom Brady led a 38-24 opening throttling of the Cincinnati Bengals, three days...