Patriots injury blow as Brady to miss rest of season

NEW ENGLAND Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to miss the rest of the 2008 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, according to a source familiar with the injury.

While New England coach Bill Belichick said in his post-game press conference after the clash with the Kansas City Chiefs that he had no update on the status of Brady’s injury, two sources indicated it involved serious damage to the knee.

“It’s bad”, a team source said. “We’re going to have to play without him.”

Brady was hurt as he stepped up in the pocket to make a throw to wide-out Randy Moss. Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, who was on the ground, lunged forward and struck Brady’s leg, which buckled as he released the ball.

Brady was helped off the field and was later led down a staircase by team officials, presumably to undergo tests.

Fourth-year quarterback Matt Cassel, who had thrown just 39 passes in his career before Sunday, replaced Brady and completed 13 of 18 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.

Cassel, who backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, hasn’t been a starting quarterback since high school. He won a competition with Matt Gutierrez during the preseason to retain the job as Brady’s primary backup.

Meanwhile, three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre made a triumphant return from retirement, leading his new team, the New York Jets, past Miami 20-14.

The 38-year-old quarterback who spent 16 years with Green Bay completed 15-of-22 passes for 193 yards Sunday and two touchdowns to defeat a club guided by the quarterback he replaced with the Jets, Chad Pennington.

“It was shaky, but it’s a good start,” Favre said. “It’s a win and you can never question a win.”

Favre threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery in the first quarter and a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey in the second quarter, the latter throw on a fourth down after evading Dolphins pass rushers.

Jets corner-back Darrelle Revis intercepted a Pennington pass in the end zone with five seconds remaining to secure the victory over a team that went 1-15 last season and turned to a passer who spent eight years with the Jets.

“I just hate losing,” Pennington said. “I hate it as bad as you could imagine. It doesn’t matter if it was against the Jets or the other 31 teams.”

Favre retired in the off-season, changed his mind and decided to return and prompted the Packers to trade him in a soap opera that could help make the Jets a contender.