Rookie Scott to miss season

FOXBOROUGH -- It seemed routine enough. Guss Scott fell on a punt return in the Patriots' game in Cincinnati Saturday night, basically untouched, and stayed down until the play ended. He limped off the field, mostly under his own power, and didn't receive an extraordinary amount of medical attention once he retreated to the sideline.

Yesterday, everyone found out there was nothing routine about it. Scott, the Patriots' third-round draft choice and the 95th overall pick, will be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury and miss the entire season.

"This is obviously disappointing for all of us," coach Bill Belichick said. "But especially for Guss, who has worked really hard."

Scott, a safety who played at the University of Florida, missed the first two days of training camp over a contract hangup. Since joining the Patriots, he impressed with his nose for the ball and special-teams ability.

If anyone benefits, it will be fellow rookie safety Dexter Reid, a fourth-round choice from North Carolina. Reid has played very well in camp, on defense and special teams. Against the Bengals, he made four tackles, two on special teams, and broke up a pass in the end zone. Reid likely will inherit any playing time that was to go to Scott.

In the third quarter against the Bengals, Scott blocked on a punt return and seemed to catch his left cleat on the Paul Brown Stadium turf. He fell and clutched his left knee before limping off.

Later in the quarter, it was announced he wouldn't return. That was supposed to mean just that game. Instead, it will be for the entire season.

"I thought he looked great," said teammate and fellow secondary member Ty Law. "It's very unfortunate. This is the downside of preseason."

McCrary released To whittle the roster and to give him a chance to land with another NFL team, the Patriots released Fred McCrary yesterday. The fullback, who played in six games last year and started three, signed with New England last March as an unrestricted free agent.

Belichick implied that McCrary could rejoin the Patriots down the road.

"We are certainly not closing the door on anything here," the coach said. "At the same time, [the roster] is tight and I think that we both felt it was probably the right thing to do at this point in time. And things could always change and they could change quickly, so I don't in any way feel like this is necessarily a position that could never be changed."

McCrary's release means Malaefou Mackenzie, whom Jacksonville released last year in the exhibition season, and Patrick Pass are the only fullbacks on the roster.

"I don't know what the game plan will be," Pass said. "Maybe they'll just have one running back in the whole game. I just have to continue to do my special team duties."

"I didn't know what to think," Mackenzie said. "I'm always surprised when people get released.

"Fred was awesome. He helped me learn my position. Fred helped me as much as he can every day. We'll miss Fred."

Tough duty The Patriots are using this week to get into a regular-season practice schedule. It's an important week, considering how badly they performed in a 31-3 loss at Cincinnati Saturday night. The team practiced in full pads yesterday, and most players expected the rigorous session. "I hope we have a tougher week of practice," linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "We've got work to do, bottom line." . . . Defensive lineman Rodney Bailey, out for the season with a torn left Achilles' tendon, was on hand wearing a large, boot-like brace on his foot . . . Quarterback Jim Miller isn't practicing yet, but he reported dramatic improvement in his rotator cuff. Neither he nor Belichick are certain if he'll end up seeing any exhibition-game action.