TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms was listed in stable condition late last night after having his spleen removed following the Buccaneers' 26-24 loss to Carolina.

Simms, 26, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, about a quarter-mile from Raymond James Stadium, via ambulance after the game and likely will remain there for two or three days.

"Chris is doing well and we anticipate a full recovery," Bucs team physician Dr. Joe Diaco said in a statement.

That recovery, though, likely means Simms' season is over. The normal recovery time from a splenectomy is 4 to 6 weeks, but for an NFL quarterback, the timetable is anything but normal.

The spleen is located in the upper left side of the abdomen and filters old or damaged blood cells to help the immune system fight bacteria and other foreign substances. WebMD.com calls the spleen "a useful but nonessential organ."

Simms is believed to have ruptured his spleen sometime during the first half and likely aggravated it while taking several hard hits from Panthers defenders as the game went on.

While scoring on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, Simms took a big hit from linebacker Adam Seward. Several teammates, though, said Simms appeared to labor as he called plays earlier in the game.

Late in the third quarter, Simms walked away from the Bucs' huddle, doubled over and kneeled on the ground. He was helped from the field and taken to the locker room, replaced by rookie Bruce Gradkowski for two plays.

Simms returned when the Bucs got the ball back and drove his team to a field goal with just over five minutes to play.

"He played tough and he showed a lot of grit," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said afterward, unaware of the severity of Simms' condition. "He is hurting right now, no question"

The loss of Simms is certainly a blow to Tampa Bay, looking to recover from an 0-3 start.

Carolina (1-2) finally got its first win when John Kasay kicked a 46-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining.

Kasay also kicked field goals of 51, 50 and 49 yards. The game-winner came after Jake Delhomme marched the Panthers into scoring range with help from a 14-yard pass interference penalty and a 19-yard completion to Keyshawn Johnson.

NFL TODAY

HAWAI'I WATCH



DE TRAVIS LABOY, Titans (University of Hawai'i), 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack.



DT JESSE MAHELONA, Titans (Kealakehe High), 2 tackles, 1 assist.



DE KIMO VON OELHOFFEN, Jets (Moloka'i High), 1 tackle, 2 assists.



LB JEFF ULBRICH, 49ers (University of Hawai'i), 2 tackles, 2 assists.



LB PISA TINOISAMOA, Rams (University of Hawai'i), 2 tackles.



DB AARON FRANCISCO, Cardinals (Kahuku High), 1 tackle.



K JASON ELAM, Broncos (University of Hawai'i), 23-yard field goal, 2 for 2 PATs.



DT MA'AKE KEMOEATU, Panthers (Kahuku High), 3 tackles.



G CHRIS NAEOLE, Jaguars (Kahuku High), injured in fourth quarter.





SCOREBOARD



Today



Atlanta (2-0) at New Orleans (2-0), 2:30 p.m. Hawai'i time. The first game back at the Louisiana Superdome features two surprisingly unbeaten NFC South leaders.



STARS



Passing



— Mark Brunell, Redskins, broke the NFL record for most consecutive passes completed in a single game when he connected on his first 22 throws in a 31-15 win over the Houston Texans.



— Brett Favre, Packers, was 25 of 36 for 340 yards with three touchdowns, joining Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks with 400 TDs, as Green Bay beat Detroit 31-24.



— Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, threw five touchdown passes in Seattle's 42-30 victory over the New York Giants.



— Marc Bulger, Rams, was 21 of 31 for 309 yards and a TD in St. Louis' 16-14 win at Arizona.



— Carson Palmer, Bengals, was 18 of 26 for 193 yards and four touchdowns in Cincinnati's 28-20 victory at Pittsburgh.



— Donovan McNabb, Eagles, threw for 296 yards and two TDs on 18-of-33 passing in Philadelphia's 38-24 win at San Francisco.



Rushing



— Brian Westbrook, Eagles, rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a scoring pass in Philadelphia's 38-24 victory over the 49ers.



— Willis McGahee, Bills, had a career-high 150 yards rushing, but Buffalo lost its home opener 28-20 to the New York Jets.



— Ladell Betts, Redskins, had 16 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown in Washington's 31-15 win at Houston.



— Willie Parker, Steelers, rushed for 133 yards and two TDs in Pittsburgh's 28-20 loss to Cincinnati.



— Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, had a career-high 103 yards on 13 carries in Jacksonville's 21-14 loss at Indianapolis.



Receiving



— Keyshawn Johnson, Panthers, had seven catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a 4-yard run in Carolina's 26-24 win at Tampa Bay.



— Andre Johnson, Texans, made 11 catches for 152 yards in Houston's 31-15 loss to Washington.



— Roy Williams, Lions, had seven receptions for a career-high 138 yards and a TD in Detroit's 31-24 loss to Green Bay.



— T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals, had 9 catches for 94 yards and two TDs as Cincinnati topped Pittsburgh 28-20.



— Muhsin Muhammad, Bears, caught nine passes for 118 yards in Chicago's 19-16 win at Minnesota.



Special Teams



— John Kasay, Panthers, kicked field goals of 51, 50 and 49 yards before booting a 46-yarder to win the game with 2 seconds left in Carolina's 26-24 victory over Tampa Bay.



— Matt Stover, Ravens, booted a 52-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in a 15-14 win over the Browns.



— Robbie Gould, Bears, kicked four field goals to lead Chicago to a 19-16 win at Minnesota.



Defense



— Victor Hobson, Jets, had a 32-yard fumble return for a score in New York's 28-20 win at Buffalo.



— Mike Patterson, Eagles, returned a fumble 98 yards for a touchdown in Philadelphia's 38-24 win over the 49ers.



— Antoine Winfield, Vikings, returned one of Rex Grossman's two interceptions for a fourth-quarter touchdown in Minnesota's 19-16 loss.



SIDELINED



Cleveland running back Reuben Droughns was inactive against Baltimore because of a shoulder injury. ... Philadelphia receiver Donte' Stallworth was a late scratch from the lineup against San Francisco with a hamstring injury. ... San Francisco running back Frank Gore strained his abdomen and tight end Vernon Davis cracked a bone in his leg.