Tom Brady: Season over

[Mike wanna be]

Sources: Brady out with ACL tear

 

By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports

 

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 postgame press conference 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 wideout 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.

 

So, making him walk off the field and into the locker room (including down the stairs): good idea, bad idea?

[CanadianChris]

I can hear the anti-Boston crowd shouting with glee from here. Even with the easy schedule, I don't see them making the playoffs now. The Jets and Bills could both finish ahead of them.

[naiwf]

I'm pretty sure they didn't know he blew his ACL out at that moment. This injury opens up the entire AFC which is nice, but now the more delusional Jets fans around NYC will start to think it is their destiny to win the SB this year. We didn't even get through the first week of the season before it was all but guaranteed that neither team will get back to the big game in February.

[Vigo]

Time to bring Culpepper in from his brief retirement. Culpepper to Moss.

[Cartman]

I can hear the anti-Boston crowd shouting with glee from here. Even with the easy schedule, I don't see them making the playoffs now. The Jets and Bills WILL both finish ahead of them.

Fixed.

[devo]

I'll reserve my excitement for a week or so.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I hate the Patriots more than nearly every other sports team in the history of mankind, and I'm not exactly shouting with glee.

 

Injuries are part of the game. Great players get hurt, too.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Time to bring Culpepper in from his brief retirement. Culpepper to Moss.

 

 

You're a fuckin' genius there, guy.

[Guest דניא&#15]

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Someone had to do it.

[Guest Smues]

I'm reserving my glee for when I'm actually sure he's gone, but this is Smues happy news. Yeah it's petty to be gleeful when a player gets hurt, but Brady was at the top of my 'would be gleeful if they got killed' list. In professional sports anyway. But because they're the Patriots Cassel will probably become Tom Brady V2 and lead them to another Super Bowl. I'm still not counting the Patriots out until they'll officially eliminated from playoff contention. Call it the Yankee rule.

[Guest דניא&#15]

Not like this board is known for its classy restraint.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

To be completely honest, I'd celebrate more if it were Grossman.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

To be completely honest, I'd celebrate more if it were Grossman.

 

Wishing injury on a backup? That's a bit much. Guy did take the Bears to the Super Bowl... well half of the time.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

You think that's harsh? I hope Jon Quinn slips in the shower and sprains his ankle. Every day for the rest of his life.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

I don't get that. He was an unheralded free agent pickup from Kansas City. What were you expecting out of that? It wasn't like they wasted a valuable draft pick on him like they did Rex Grossman, Cade McNown, and so forth.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I can't explain my visceral Jon Quinn hatred. It's just there, and always will be. I think it's because he was just so inconsequential and pointless.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

I can't explain my visceral Jon Quinn hatred. It's just there, and always will be. I think it's because he was just so inconsequential and pointless.

 

Every quarterback that suited up for the Chicago blue and orange since Erik Kramer was pointless and inconsequential. But I won't press on further.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Yeah, I'm totally irrational with that anyway.

[Just John]

Probably the most important thing the Chiefs do all season.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

Credit should be given to Matt Young too. He jinxed Brady with his Patriots preseason assessment.

[jimmy no nose]

NFL.com is reporting he's out for the season to. Pretty much official at this point. Chris Simms is already heading into town.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

Hopefully Chris keeps us posted here on the board!

[KingPK]

They might as well tank the season for a high draft pick (is it possible to run DOWN the score?) because even if they make it in, no combination of Culpepper, Simms or Cassell gives me even a remote bit of confidence. The defense is going to have to put in a 2000 Ravens effort to even reach the 12 win mark.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

12 wins?? I hate to break this to you, but every team on their schedule smells blood now, and they're going to throw the kitchen sink at whoever is behind center.

[KingPK]

I know, but that was the baseline a lot of people had. 10 is probably the absolute best they can do since they can win a lot of ugly, scrappy games like they did during their run.

[The Ghost of bps21]

They won alot of those close games because Brady made great plays at the end of games.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I haven't seen a dissenting report yet that says he might be out for x-weeks or whatever. EVERYTHING I can find says "Whoa, he's fucked."

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

You know, I'm looking at their schedule, and double digit wins is still possible. How in the hell do you guys get these nancy-ass schedules? Pats go to Indy and Seattle, and host Pittsburgh and...Denver. Nothing else out of the division looks even remotely threatening, unless the Cards are playing for a wildcard spot in late December.

[CanadianChris]

You know, I'm looking at their schedule, and double digit wins is still possible. How in the hell do you guys get these nancy-ass schedules? Pats go to Indy and Seattle, and host Pittsburgh and...Denver. Nothing else out of the division looks even remotely threatening, unless the Cards are playing for a wildcard spot in late December.

The entire AFC East lucked out with their schedules this year, playing the two West divisions. San Diego is the only remotely threatening team among those eight.