New England Patriots’ Tom Brady Shows Explosive Return from Deflategate Suspension

By Carlo Monzon
Tom Brady
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.  Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

At Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, Tom Brady made an explosive return from his Deflategate suspension. Replacing Jimmy Garoppolo as the team's starting quarterback, Brady was able to lead the Patriots to victory and bounce back from their Week 4 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

After finishing his four-game suspension, Brady proved to the NFL community that he is still in great football shape and did not spend his break from the league slacking off. During the game, he threw for 406 yards and completed 28 of his 40 passes to close the match with a final score of 33-13.

As noted by Brady, his return was momentous for him and his career. But, he said that he doesn't regret missing the first four weeks of the season since he really can't do anything about his suspension.

"This isn't the time for me to reflect," he said. "I'm just happy we won. I have a job to do, and there is no point in looking back at anything, whether we won Super Bowls or lost championship games. The last four weeks, none of it matters."

Brady's return to the active roster was very timely for the entire New England franchise. Although Garoppolo has done a relatively good job in holding down the Patriots' fourth, the team has been in need of a reliable quarterback to lead the squad this season.

Before Brady's comeback, the Patriots encountered a serious problem in the form of Jacoby Brissett's injury, which forced the team to put him on the IR list. This then left the Patriots with Garoppolo as their only quarterback. To add some form of depth to the QB bench, the Patriots appointed wide receiver Julian Edelman as an emergency passer.

Hopefully though, Brady will be able to maintain his momentum and performance as the team heads into Week 6 to face off against the Browns, which has not yet won a single game this season. As long as he stays healthy and injury-free, it seems the Patriots could be looking at a very good season this year.