AC

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady missed the  New England Patriots' practice Wednesday because of an illness. In fact, he wasn't even at the team facilities at Gillette Stadium, according to a source. The source, however, said that Brady is "good and will be ready for Sunday," when the Patriots play Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Brady said last week he was fighting a cold, but he did not miss a practice and played every snap of Saturday's divisional playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots also listed Brady as having a shoulder injury, a designation that has been relatively typical for the veteran quarterback. Wednesday's session was the first of three practices the Patriots will hold this week. In Brady's absence, backup Ryan Mallett handled the roles of both first-team and scout-team quarterback, essentially filling both Brady's and Manning's shoes. "It was fun," Mallett said of...