The Patriots lose linebacker Ted Johnson to a broken foot.

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots lost another defensive captain when linebacker Ted Johnson broke his foot less than a week after the team released safety Lawyer Milloy, the team said Wednesday.

Coming off a 31-0 loss at Buffalo, Johnson’s absence for an undetermined period puts more pressure on the Patriots heading into this Sunday’s game at Philadelphia.

“We’ve been dealt a couple of blows in the last week and a half but you’ve got to keep going,” linebacker Tedy Bruschi said.

Coach Bill Belichick said Johnson would be sidelined with a foot injury but gave no details. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said later that Johnson had broken a bone in his left foot.

Johnson played the entire game at Buffalo and was third on the team with six tackles. It wasn’t clear when he was injured, and he walked without crutches after the game Sunday and Monday. But he did wear a stabilizing boot from just under his knee to his left foot in the locker room on Monday.

“He’ll probably be out for a little while” was all Belichick would say about Johnson’s prognosis.

The Patriots should handle the loss of the inside linebacker – an excellent run stopper – better than Milloy’s since they have more depth at linebacker than at safety.

Roman Phifer, who started 161 of his 182 NFL games before coming off the bench against the Bills, is expected to start in Johnson’s place.

“You’re definitely going to miss his presence,” Phifer said. “We’re just going to have to count on other veterans and kind of pull together and rally this team.”

It’s the latest setback for Johnson, the Patriots’ second-round draft pick out of Colorado in 1995.

He missed the last three games in 1998 with a torn chest muscle and the first 11 of 1999 with a torn left biceps muscle.

He left the team before the first game last season when he learned he wouldn’t be on the active roster, even though he was healthy. He played the next week and 13 other games and was second on the Patriots with 96 tackles.

“This is a tough injury for Ted, but he’s overcome difficult obstacles before,” said Bruschi, one of two healthy defensive captains with end Richard Seymour. “No matter what the situation is or how long he’ll be gone, we’ll be ready for him when he gets back.”

Johnson led the Patriots in tackles in 1996 and 1997 and had a career-high 142 in 1998, second on the team to Milloy’s 151, despite missing the last three games.

Besides Phifer, the Patriots could use Larry Izzo and Don Davis in Johnson’s spot.

The defense has had time to adjust to the loss of Milloy, the four-time Pro Bowl player who was released in a salary cap move Sept. 2. He signed with Buffalo the next day and started against the Patriots on Sunday.

“It’s sad that another one of our leaders has gone down and whoever takes his spot has to bounce back up,” defensive end Bobby Hamilton said.

Safety Rodney Harrison has taken more of a leadership role, even though he just joined the Patriots during the offseason after being cut by San Diego.

Harrison has played in two Pro Bowls during his nine seasons and is known, as Milloy was, for his hard hits on receivers. Unlike the vocal Milloy, Johnson is a quiet leader.

“It’s definitely frustrating because Teddy was an integral part of this team (with) his physical presence out on the field as well as his leadership in the locker room,” Harrison said. “We have a bunch of guys that can step in that have started, that have played a long time, and that can get the job done.”

AP-ES-09-10-03 1640EDT