The news of the day is Tom Brady's knee. The quarterback hit a snag on his road to recovery following knee surgery and, according to sources, has had several corrective procedures to battle an infection.
“An ACL getting infected is extraordinarily rare,” Dallas Mavericks physician T.O. Souryal told the Boston Globe.
Dr. Arun Ramappa, chief of sports medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, does not know the specifics of Brady's case, but offers a positive outlook.
“In all likelihood they’ll be able to eradicate the infection and be able to maintain the original surgery,” Ramappa told the Boston Herald.
On the field, the Patriots are dealing with even more injuries, particularly at running back. The team needs to find a way to keep its running game productive despite the loss of Laurence Maroney.
“I’m sure that we are capable of doing that [again]; we just have to be consistent throughout the rest of the year,” running back Kevin Faulktold the Providence Journal.
So far, the backups have been productive. Sammy Morrisfinished with a career-high in yardage on Monday and helped quarterback Matt Casselput together the most effective game of his career.
“Anytime we can get the running game going, it’s a plus for me and it makes my job a lot easier,” Cassel told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
As far as other personnel is concerned, wide receiver Wes Welkermay have reclaimed punt return duties from Kevin Faulkfollowing a 44-yard return against the Broncos.
“I’ve been doing punt returns every year since the sixth grade so being able to get out there is good,” Welker told the Quincy Patriot Ledger.
Other faces chipped in as well, including cornerback Mike Richardson, who finally got on the field after missing all of his rookie season in 2007 due to injuries.
“I knew I had to keep a strong mindset and keep pushing forward,” Richardson told the Attleboro Sun Chronicle.
Quick hits
The St. Louis Rams still haven't gotten over their loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. They'll get a chance for some slight revenge Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
Asked if he'll ever watch the game again, defensive end Leonard Little told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Never will.
Chris Long, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft, still doesn't have any sacks this season, but is showing progress as a key contributor on St. Louis' defense.
“I just work my hardest every day just to help this team,” Long told the Belleville News Democrat.
Also, renowned sports doctor James Andrews spoke with Brady's surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, and says Brady should be on the way to recovery relatively soon despite the setbacks.
“What I gather from talking to Neal today is that Tom’s getting better, and what has been done is getting him well,” Andrews told the L.A. Times.
