Bledsoe

BOSTON -- Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe's doctors determined his organs were not damaged on a tackle that caused internal bleeding in his chest, New England coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday.

Bledsoe still was expected to miss at least two games, and a team spokesman said Wednesday that the quarterback was expected to be released from the hospital on Thursday.

"There's no damage that's been detected to any internal organ or ribs or anything like that, or lungs," Belichick said.

A chest tube doctors inserted to alleviate bleeding was removed Wednesday.

Bledsoe was injured when linebacker Mo Lewis hit him full-speed in the fourth quarter of New York's 10-3 victory on Sunday. Although Bledsoe played one more series, he was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital when he became uncomfortable 45 minutes after the game.

Doctors inserted a chest tube to drain internal bleeding. Bledsoe spent Sunday night in intensive care, though Belichick said it might have been because all the standard beds in the hospital were full. By the time Belichick visited him on Monday, though, Bledsoe was in a standard room.

"He was in relatively good spirits and looked a lot better than he did the other night," the coach said.

Belichick said he did not know how long Bledsoe will be out, but that he doesn't expect him back in the next two weeks. It is possible Bledsoe will be on the sideline -- but inactive -- before then to help with signals.

"I don't think there is any chance he would play this week and probably not the following week," Belichick said. "I don't see it being in the next week or two, let's put it that way."

The greatest damage appeared to be a sheared blood vessel that filled his left chest cavity with blood.

"I go by what the doctors tell me. When they're concerned, I'm concerned," Belichick said. "They were right there the whole time, they were on top of the situation. I felt like he was getting good care.

"Was I concerned? Yeah, sure. But nothing was ever implicated that it was going to be (major). They just didn't know what it was and when they found out what it was they started treating it."

Bledsoe's agent, David Dunn, did not return a call seeking comment.

Tom Brady, who leapfrogged over the more senior Damon Huard in training camp to become the No. 2 quarterback, will start Sunday against Indianapolis. Belichick said it was possible the team would sign another quarterback, but he would wait until he knew how long Bledsoe would be out.

"I think we're probably going to hang on here for a day or two days and get a timeline on it," Belichick said.

Brady played at Michigan and was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. He threw three passes last season, completing one.

Bledsoe was hurt on a third-and-10 play from his 19-yard line with 5:01 left in the game. He ran around right end for an 8-yard gain before being hit hard by Lewis in front of the Patriots bench.

Bledsoe stayed on the ground for about two minutes. He came back for the next possession, but Brady came on for the final series.