Brady officially done for season

Sep 8, 2008 - 10:57 PM FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (Ticker) -- Tom Brady rewrote the NFL record book last season. The New England Patriots quarterback will not have a chance for an encore in 2008.

Brady, the league's reigning MVP, needs season-ending surgery on his left knee and has been placed on injured reserve, the Patriots announced Monday.

One of the most durable players in NFL history, Brady suffered the injury in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The two-time Super Bowl MVP underwent an MRI on Monday, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not reveal the exact results of the exam.

"We feel badly for Tom about the injury," Belichick said during a news conference Monday afternoon from Gillette Stadium. "You hate to see anyone go down, and no one has worked harder or done more for this team than Tom has."

Brady was knocked out of Sunday's 17-10 victory midway through the first quarter after he was hit in the back of the left knee by safety Bernard Pollard. The four-time Pro Bowler crumpled to the turf following the hit and clutched his knee.

After being attended to by team trainers, Brady hobbled off the field and headed directly to the locker room. The NFL Network reported that he underwent a preliminary MRI at Gillette Stadium, and the results confirmed that he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Now the Patriots turn the reins over to Matt Cassel, who has not started a game since high school and entered this season with 22 career passing attempts and two touchdowns.

"There isn't going to be any magical formula or any magical pill (Brady) can take (to get him) back out there on Sunday," All-Pro defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. "Cassel's our guy and we'll ride with him.

"There's always a way to win. We just have to game plan and look for our opportunities to get it done."

On Sunday, Cassell passed for 152 yards and a touchdown in relief of Brady, who completed 7-of-11 passes in the contest.

Cassel also served as a replacement on Brady's normally scheduled slot on WEEI on Monday morning. A career backup, Cassel revealed that he has not spoken to Brady, although the two quarterbacks have exchanged text messages.

"I'm not trying to be Tom Brady, I'm just trying to be Matt Cassel," he said. "I don't know where that's going to take us."

New England veteran safety Rodney Harrison stressed that the onus will be on the entire team - not just Cassel.

"One player doesn't win or lose ballgames," Harrison said. "It's 53 guys collectively as a group, and we understand that as a team and that's why it's a team. It's not 11 guys against one, it's 11 guys on the field against 11 guys on the field.

"That's something we understand, all the guys in the locker room understand and that's something we're going to move forward with and look forward to doing."

Veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel drew a parallel to the 2001 season, when Brady stepped in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl championship - the first in franchise history and one of three in the next four seasons.

"I think this team is a lot more mature than what we were in 2001," Vrabel said. "We had a lot of new players who were coming together. I think guys know each other a little better. I think we're a better football team than what we were in 2001."

Belichick, though, was not interested in drawing such comparisons.

"I think you are comparing apples to grapefruits," he said. "What our offense was in 2001 and what it is now are two different things."

Numerous reports have stated that the Patriots invited quarterbacks Chris Simms and Tim Rattay to work out and potentially join the team. But Belichick vehemently denied those reports.

"In spite of what some people are putting out there, we haven't worked out anybody," he said. "We had a lot of people call us."

In 2007, Brady set an NFL record by throwing 50 touchdown passes in leading New England to a perfect 16-0 regular-season record, the first in league history. However, the Patriots' campaign ended with a crushing loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Brady did not take a snap this preseason due to an injured foot. But ironically, he was not listed on the injury report for Sunday's game - the first time he has not been on it since the 2005 season.

Entering the season, Brady had started 128 consecutive regular-season contests, the third-longest streak in NFL history behind only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.

"I think everybody in New England knows and has seen what's he's been able to do throughout his career," left tackle Matt Light said. "It's just been a great pleasure of mine to play with Tommy all these years. And when you lose a guy like that, it's tough."

An injury to Bledsoe in Week Two in 2001 put Brady in the Patriots' lineup, and he has not missed a game since. He established his reputation as a clutch performer by leading a last-minute drive in a stunning 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

A sixth-round draft choice (No. 199 overall) of the Patriots in 2000, Brady directed New England to two more Super Bowl titles in 2003 and 2004. He had New England on the precipice of another title before a last-minute 17-14 loss to the Giants this past February.

Brady has 26,446 passing yards and 197 touchdowns against just 86 interceptions in 113 career games. He ranks seventh among active quarterbacks in passing yards and third in TDs.