Brady is to miss rest of season

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Brady went down in the first quarter

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury.

Brady hurt his left knee during the first quarter of the team's 17-10 season-opening victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The 31-year-old fell to the ground and grabbed his knee after a hit by Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard before limping off the field.

The team announced Brady is to have surgery following an MRI scan.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick admitted: "He was in a lot of pain. When you hear a scream, you know that."

New England were the favourites to win the Super Bowl, after achieving the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history last year.

But losing Brady, who was voted the league's Most Valuable Player last season and threw an NFL record 50 touchdown passes, would be a massive blow.

606: DEBATE This will essentially end the Patriots' Super Bowl hopes BBC Sport's Tim Love

They only have Matt Cassel in reserve, a player who has not even started a college game, let alone a game in the NFL.

Cassel, however, put in a solid performance when he replaced the injured Brady, completing 13 of 18 passes for 152 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Receiver Randy Moss, who caught 23 of Brady's touchdown passes in 2007 and was on the end of a 28-yard pass before Brady was forced off on Sunday, tried to put a brave face on the setback.

"Tom is the face of the New England Patriots, and being who he is it kind of hurts, to be honest with you," he said, following the opening game.

"I know the show must go on. Hopefully Matt Cassel is ready to step in. I know the team is ready to embrace him and let him lead us."

It is likely, though, that the Patriots will look to bring in an experienced quarterback.

Meanwhile, the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills both won their opening matches in the AFC East - and the Patriots may now face a battle to be competitive in a division they have dominated in recent years.

Brett Favre made a successful debut for the Jets, six months after he called it a day at Green Bay Packers and headed for retirement only to change his mind.

He threw two touchdown passes and finished 15-for-22 for 194 yards, securing his 161st victory to extend his NFL record for starting quarterbacks.

In other games Philadelphia were easy winners over St. Louis, and Pittsburgh were comfortable victors over Houston, while Carolina edged out San Diego and New Orleans beat Tampa Bay in another close affair.