The New England Patriots roared back for a 33 to 13 win against the Cleveland Browns after being shutout in week four.
Tom Brady threw for 406 yards, the 8th time he has done so in his career, and three touchdowns in his triumphant return. Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski both had 100 yards receiving, with Hogan having a career day.
Cleveland played three different quarterbacks throughout the game due to various injuries, with Charlie Whitehurst getting a majority of the snaps. Whitehurst threw for 182 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while Cody Kessler threw for 62 yards and a touchdown before being injured.
What It Means
New England keeps its one game lead on the AFC East, and the Patriots as a whole looked dominant. Then again, it is the 0 and 5 Browns they played. The Patriots will have a much bigger challenge upcoming in the form of Cincinnati.
LeGarrette Blount was practically nonexistent in this game, racking up only 37 yards. He was able to reach the end zone on the Patriots first drive, so while fantasy owners remain happy, his streak of hot and cold continues. Expect the Patriots to rely less on the run with their up-tempo pass game finally working at maximum capacity.
Gronkowski finally looked like him old self. While Martellus Bennett had all of the touchdowns (all three to be precise), the one-two punch of both tight ends contributing in the pass game was very apparent.
Stat of the Game
The Patriots were able to net a total of 501 yards of total offense. 406 of those were via passes. Even at 39, Tom Brady is still making ridiculous plays.
Unsung Hero
Rookie linebacker Elandon Roberts was all over the field on Sunday. After not playing since week two in a game where he recorded only one tackle, Roberts racked up 6 tackles and one assist in a game where Browns running back Isaiah Crowell was held to 22 yards. The University of Houston product is already being touted as possibly being the next big Patriots linebacker.
Noteworthy
The Browns have played five different quarterbacks in five different games. That is wild. With Whitehurst being cut following week five, Kessler will start despite being injured and taken out of last weeks game. Expect Pryor to still take some snaps.
