New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said on Monday he expects to be fit for his team's regular season opener on September 7 after injury.

Brady has missed the Patriots' last three preseason games due to a right-foot injury, but made it clear he was anticipating playing against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"I was hoping to play last week," he told Boston-based radio station WEEI. "It's up to the coach. If I don't play Thursday night (in the preseason finale against the New York Giants), I'll be ready for Kansas City."

Last season's league MVP, Brady picked up a separate foot injury prior to last season's Super Bowl when the Patriots suffered their first defeat of the year to finish 18-1, including the postseason.

With Brady out, New England has struggled on offense during the preseason, where it has an 0-3 record.

Meanwhile, Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor could miss up to two weeks due to a sprained right knee, the team said on Sunday.

Taylor was injured in Washington's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

Preseason finale

The Pro-Bowl defenseman will be unavailable for the team's preseason finale, and may miss the season-opener on September 4 against the Giants.

"I'm not ruling him out of the opener," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. "It'll be based on how he improves. We'll be cautious."

Taylor was acquired by the Redskins last month in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. The 33-year-old is one of the top defensive ends in the National Football League, and has 117 career sacks.

Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons have named rookie Matt Ryan as the starting quarterback for their opener on September 7 against the Detroit Lions, the team announced on Sunday.

Ryan, the third overall pick in the last draft, has looked sharp during the preseason. In three contests, he has completed 61 percent of his passes for 270 yards and two scores.

"We have evaluated Matt through mini-camp, training camp and over the course of three preseason games," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "After reviewing Matt's progress, we feel like he has won the starting job."

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily August 27, 2008)