As the New England Patriots prepare to play the Cleveland Browns in a Week 5 match up Sunday, here are some thoughts heading into the game.

He's Back- Quarterback Tom Brady is set to return, Sunday, after serving his deflategate suspension over the first four weeks of the season. The 39-year-old has been back with the team since Monday, preparing for the Browns and his 2016 debut. The return of Brady should get the New England offense, which has struggled the past couple of weeks, back on pace. Simply put, having Brady back in the lineup for the Patriots is bad news for the rest of the league. They can all thank Roger Goodell for what TB12 is about to do over the final three quarters of the season.

So Is He- Lost in all the hubbub surrounding the return of Brady is the return of a defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who has been a leader on defense over the past few seasons. Ninkovich missed the first four games of the season, after testing positive for a banned substance. While he was dealing with a triceps injury that had him sidelined in the preseason prior to the suspension, some reports have surfaced that the end might be able to return to game action Sunday as well. If the 32-year-old is good to go, his presence could provide a nice boost to the struggling New England pass rush that had arguably its worst game in last Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. While Ninkovich isn't considered among the league's top edge rushers, his versatility and ability to work in different spots both on and off the line could help free up space for New England's other edge rushers to get to the quarterback. Also, just being out on the field and adding to the depth along the front front seven should help his teammates stay fresh and should maximize their abilities.

Jacoby To IR- Currently, the Patriots have an exemption waiver for Brady, which means that he doesn't officially have to be added to the active roster until Saturday afternoon. New England did need to free up a roster spot to add Brady and, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they have made their move.  Reports have come out that rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has started the last two games and played with a ligament injury in his right thumb, will be placed on IR. That move makes sense,  not only because of the injury but also because the Pats typically only keep two quarterbacks on the roster. With Brady back and backup Jimmy Garoppolo on the mend from a shoulder injury they should be covered. Brissett, who appears to be set for surgery to repair the injured thumb, wasn't expected to factor into New England's plans once Brady returned anyways.

Stepping On The Gas- With the return of Brady and a relatively healthy assortment of skill players around him, expect the Patriots offense resemble what fans and opponents have come to expect over the past years. Combined with the fact that the Cleveland defense is one of the worst in the league through the first quarter of the season, New England should be able to hang a bevy of points on the scoreboard, Sunday. Look for Brady and company to come out firing and trying to take advantage of a Browns defense that has allowed almost 29 points per game on average this season.

Time To Step Up- On the other side of the ball, Sunday's game also presents an opportunity for New England's defense get back on track. In all but one of the season's first four games, the defense has failed to live up to lofty preseason hype that had them ranked among the top units in the league. Last week, while they limited Buffalo to just one touchdown, the Pats defense couldn't get off the field on third down and allowed the Bills offense to control time of possession. Look for the Pats to make a concerted effort to get in the backfield and slow down an already struggling Browns passing attack. This is the type of game that won't give the most accurate indicator of where the Pats defense fits among others in the league, but it is a game that could give them all a mental boost and the confidence they'll need to battle better offenses as the season moves on.

Injury Concerns- There were some concerns raised Thursday, when the New England injury report was released after practice. The big addition that caught the eye of many was the addition of wide receiver Julian Edelman, who was named as a limited participant because of complications with his surgically repaired foot. It is unclear how severe the injury is, but it could be that the foot is just a little sore and Edelman needed a bit of a rest. The other notable change to the report from Wednesday to Thursday was that starting right tackle Marcus Cannon, who was limited on Wednesday with a calf injury, did not practice Thursday. Cannon was fluxed into the starting lineup in the preseason following the move to place Sebastian Vollmer on the IR and has played well so far this season, despite being considered somewhat unreliable throughout his brief career. Both Edelman and Cannon were listed as limited participants on Friday and questionable for the game. If Edelman is limited, look for Danny Amendola's role to expend. Amendola, has been worked back in cautiously through the first four games, after dealing with an injury throughout training camp and the preseason. If the tackle can't go Sunday, the Pats would have to turn to either Cameron Fleming or LaAdrian Waddle to fill the void. Fleming seems to be the team's top backup on the roster, so it's safe to say he'll get the nod to start if needed. Waddle could work in a platoon effort, however.

Gronk Report- Tight end Rob Gronkowski has been confusing just about everybody since his return to the lineup two weeks ago. In two games, the All-Pro has caught just one pass and spent most of last week in as a blocker on passing plays. Gronk clearly isn't back to 100 percent health, but in a game last week where the offense was so limited, it was surprising that he wasn't utilized more as a receiving option for the rookie Brissett. It will be interesting to see what Gronkowski's role will be this week with Brady back under center. Some feel that the Pats have been working him back in slowly so that he would be ready for Brady's return and also so he can maybe stay healthy late into the season. Look for him to resemble the Gronk Patriots Nation has come to love over the years, Sunday.

Connection To Watch- One of the top things to watch this Sunday, in terms of the Patriots offense, will be how the connection works between Brady and new tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett has been a star  and one of New England's top performers through the first four weeks and, though he has little experience with Brady in game action, should become one of the quarterback's top targets with concerns around Gronk and Edelman. Look for Bennett to build a rapport with his superstar quarterback early and get more opportunities to make plays.

Prediction- The Patriots will win this game. Coming off of a embarrassing, shutout loss to Rex Ryan and the Bills, Bill Belichick will have his team ready to go. Add in the fact that Brady is back and looking to put the league on notice for their witch hunt that set out to tarnish his impeccable image and Sunday should be the start of a scary good run for New England.

Patriots 35, Browns 10

 

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