"Tom Brady said yesterday he's not certain whether he'll be sufficiently recovered from a right foot injury to participate in the Patriots' third exhibition game, which is Friday at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm trying to get treatment this week and I'm feeling better every day," Brady said on radio station WEEI. "It's going to end up being up to coach [Bill Belichick] and what he wants to do, but I think he's been coaching long enough to understand that the first game in September is what's going to be important for us."

Brady has yet to play this preseason and he didn't even make the trip with the team to Tampa for Sunday night's 27-10 loss.

There was no media availability yesterday, but Brady made his contractually scheduled appearance on WEEI, part of the station's deal with the team, and revealed that the injury is not the same right ankle malady that bothered him leading up to last February's Super Bowl.

"No, it's not the same injury," said Brady. "It's entirely different than the Super Bowl, same side of the body, same leg, but not the same injury."

Brady also said the injury had nothing to do with the Aug. 2 practice session during which he came up hobbling and reached for his left leg after throwing a pass to Jabar Gaffney. The reigning league Most Valuable Player revealed that he suffered a left shin injury that day, when running back Sammy Morris inadvertently kicked him.

The return of No. 12 can't come soon enough for the Patriots offense, which has scored just two touchdowns in two games without him.

"You know the preseason is important, but I think the idea is to be ready for when the regular season kicks off," said Brady. "If I can be out there, then I'll be out there, but it remains to be seen. We spent some time this weekend getting treatment on my foot and hoping that it responds quickly, like it usually does."

Brady also offered some support for much-maligned understudy Matt Cassel, who had another subpar outing Sunday, passing for 57 yards and leading the Patriots to just a field goal in six possessions.

"Watching Matt and hearing the criticism on TV, I don't even know where that was coming from," Brady said. "That was so far from what I was watching."