It wasn’t just another game for Tom Brady.
After running out on the field with his teammates and before he left the field after the game was over, Brady made sure to savor every second of it.
“I’m back doing what I love to do,’’ he told reporters.
After serving his four-game suspension — following a ban for his supposed role in the “Deflategate” scandal in which the New England Patriots had under-inflated footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship Game — Brady came out firing as he finished the day with 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-13 road win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon.
28/40 passing. 406 yards.
3 TDs. 1 @Patriots W.Tom Brady highlights (Week 5) #Patriots https://t.co/3TARUuA3MJ
— NFL (@NFL) October 10, 2016
Brady fought the suspension but after more than a year of back and forth between the courts and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Brady begrudgingly accepted his punishment so the organization could move on.
Unfortunately for Cleveland fans everywhere, Brady took all of his frustration out on the winless Browns as he torched the secondary. Tight end Martellus Bennett was one of Brady’s go-to guys as he finished with a team-high six receptions and three touchdowns. Chris Hogan had four catches for 114 yards and Rob Gronkowski hauled in five catches for 109 yards in the win.
As much as the offense had its way, the defense also controlled the game from start to finish. The Browns came in Sunday’s game as the NFL’s top rushing team averaging nearly 150 yards a game. But Cleveland could only muster 27 yards on 22 carries for a meager 1.2 yards per carry.
Malcom Brown, the second-year pro out of Texas, led the way on defense as he recorded a team-high two sacks and two quarterback hits on the day.
Next Opponents
New England: The Patriots (4-1) will welcome Brady back with his first home game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-3).
Cleveland: Up next for the Browns (0-5) is a road game against the Tennessee Titans (2-3) next Sunday.
