[Bill Belichick] said [Drew Bledsoe]'s injury - which kept the quarterback at Mass General Hospital for a third straight evening last night with a chest tube inserted by doctors to collect internal bleeding - was the result of a "sheared blood vessel." The coach, who visited Bledsoe Monday and again yesterday, indicated that the bleeding had nearly subsided yesterday afternoon and that Bledsoe's release could come as soon as today.

Despite various reports to the contrary, Belichick denied that Bledsoe suffered any of the following injuries: a punctured lung, a collapsed lung, damaged ribs, a ruptured spleen or a concussion. Belichick also reiterated that Bledsoe never lost consciousness on the sidelines Sunday night after taking a thunderous hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. The coach continued to insist that Bledsoe will be out at least two weeks.

Sources close to Bledsoe insisted last night that Bledsoe did, in fact, suffer a collapsed lung. And if Belichick was downplaying the nature of Bledsoe's injury, it wouldn't be the first time. Last year, Belichick repeatedly insisted that Bledsoe had suffered a "jammed" thumb when Bledsoe had in fact cracked a bone.