Today's practice key test for Bruschi

HOUSTON -- Today might be Tedy Bruschi's moment of truth.

While he envisions few scenarios that could keep him out of Sunday's Super Bowl, the Patriots inside linebacker -- who injured his leg in the AFC Championship game against Indianapolis -- believes today's practice will be telling.

"I'm gonna try and do some things," Bruschi said. "I sort of made a little progression on certain things [Monday] and [yesterday], and [today] is a day where I feel like I could be able to do some things," said Bruschi, who started answering questions even before the media session officially began yesterday at Reliant Stadium.

The specifics of the injury have not been revealed.

"During the last two weeks I've gone up and down with my emotions," said Bruschi. "I can't believe I'm hurt. It's been really tough mentally for me for the last week and a half. As I talk to you about it, I've felt that every day I've gotten better. I've had the tendency of wanting to push myself and I'm trying to tell myself, `Hold on, you still have a week left.'

"I've just trusted [Patriots trainers] Jim Whalen and Joe Van Allen. They've done a great job."

Bruschi cited team policy as the reason he couldn't detail specifics of the injury. He repeated numerous times he felt better, and when asked specifically whether he'd play Sunday, he said, "We'll see."

But one teammate said that barring a setback in practice this week, "I would bet my house on the fact that he'll play Sunday. I don't think you're gonna keep him from that football field. We all know how important he is to our defense and our team and he's not gonna miss a chance to play in a Super Bowl."

Whatever ails Bruschi is not as severe as the knee injury that kept him out of the last four games of the season a year ago.

"It takes a lot to keep me out," said Bruschi. "I've had so many injuries, but I usually just deal with them after the game."

Bruschi said he's taking recovery just as he does playing -- all out.

"It's just the way I am, the type of person I am," he said. "The all-out mentality I have in everything I do from being a good husband and father to being a good football player. I apply the same things to try and be the best you can be."

Bruschi, making his third Super Bowl appearance, likely would find this Super Bowl win his most fulfilling, believing this has been his best season.

As few individual goals that I have, one of them is to improve from the last year," he said. "I think I've done that for eight years in a row. I think I've gotten better statistically as a football player and as a football player in general."