FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Ted Johnson’s only game for the New England Patriots this season was painful.

He broke his left foot and the team lost 31-0 in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Now he and his team are much better. They’re 6-1 since, despite many significant injuries, and the linebacker and defensive captain thinks he’ll be playing again “pretty soon.”

The nine-year veteran from Colorado won’t play Monday night when the Patriots visit the Denver Broncos. But with a bye week after that – and with the progress he’s made so far – Johnson could be close to playing in the following game.

“There haven’t been any setbacks,” he said Wednesday. “I know that’s not too exciting to hear. It feels good. We’re making progress and when you’re injured, if you can do something more than you did the day before, its like a little small miracle.”

Other linebackers incurred serious injuries, the worst a broken hip that ended Rosevelt Colvin’s season. Mike Vrabel was sidelined for three games and Willie McGinest missed two. Nose tackle Ted Washington has missed the last five games with a broken leg.

Still, the Patriots’ defense has been outstanding, allowing only one touchdown and 22 points in the last three games.

“If Ted and I can get back, help out, add some depth and help out these guys doing what they’re already doing that’d be great,” Johnson said. “But, otherwise, they don’t need us right now. They’re doing fine without us.”

When he and other injured teammates get back the Patriots should be stronger.

“It’s hard not to think like that,” Johnson said.

He had an outstanding game against Buffalo with eight tackles. Last season he was second on the team with 96 tackles despite sitting out two games.

It was quite a recovery for a player who missed the last three games in 1998 with a torn chest muscle and the first 11 of 1999 with a torn biceps muscle. In 2001, coach Bill Belichick used him primarily as a substitute.

But Johnson has stopped questioning his health problems.

“I used to sit there and say, “not again,’ ” he said. “I’m more prepared now. I struggled with justifying my salary, but I finally acquiesced to the fact that it’s part of the game.”

He’s been working hard on his rehabilitation and has resumed running. The Dallas Cowboys visit the Patriots on Nov. 16, but Johnson hasn’t set a timetable for his return.

“I’d say pretty soon,” he said. “I’ve never broken a bone before, so for me to give predictions would be a little premature. But we’re making progress and that’s the main thing.”

He knows he’ll miss Monday night’s game in the state where he played college ball, at Colorado, but that matchup isn’t as important to him as it once was.

“I used to really get into that kind of nostalgic appeal to the game, but it’s really lost its sex appeal to me,” Johnson said. “A lot of my ties to CU aren’t as strong. It’s been almost nine years.”

It’s been more than seven weeks since he last played a game. Seven weeks in which the Patriots won six games and took the lead in the AFC East.

Seven weeks in which Johnson watched in frustration that he couldn’t play but in amazement at his teammates’ success.

“We had every reason to kind of go in a corner, suck our thumbs I guess, but they responded well,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome. These guys inspire me every week.”