Tom Brady’s suspension means nothing to the Patriots
The New England Patriots received some news on Tuesday, with word breaking that quarterback Tom Brady would have to serve his full four-game suspension despite his appeal to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The news came as fairly shocking, with the league almost always knocking down original suspensions (Le’Veon Bell and Greg Hardy say hello).
Next: Every NFL Team's Biggest Draft Whiff Of All-Time
Yet, all of the craziness breaking out on ESPN and NFL Network is a complete waste of your time, because the Patriots are still going to roll.
New England will likely start the season 1-3. The first four games consist of hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, traveling to take on the Buffalo Bills, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium, a BYE week, and a trip to play the Dallas Cowboys. Even without Brady, the Patriots will win at home against Jacksonville, but likely fall to the other three teams. People will panic. Phones will be thrown.
The the Golden Boy will return. In his first game back, Brady will come out with an unbridled fury and pound the whistle-blowing Indianapolis Colts in primetime. The Colts can never beat Brady in the Andrew Luck era, probably because Greg Toler and Co. are not good enough.
Everyone is tired of seeing New England win, so this suspension gives a glimmer of hope. Folks in Miami, New York/New Jersey and Buffalo are dreaming of an AFC East title. They need to wake up.
The Patriots will probably still finish the season at 10-6 or 11-5 provided the team stays healthy. New England will surpass the New York Jets and Bills, mostly because the quarterbacks on those depth charts include Ryan Fitzpatrick, EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith, Tyrod Taylor and nobody worth talking about. Buffalo and New York have excellent rosters, but the quarterback situations are damning.
The Miami Dolphins have a good quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, but have not made the playoffs since 2008. The Dolphins always come into December riding high under coach Joe Philbin, only to blow games at home. Miami has plenty of talent, but can it actually dethrone New England in the heat of a playoff chase? I’ll believe it when I see it. Finally.
When the smoke clears and the postseason is ready to get started, Brady and the Patriots will be right where they always are; at Gillette, waiting for their first victim. This is an AFC without a team capable of going into New England and beating them, perhaps save the Baltimore Ravens. Even if the Patriots can earn a second seed, they will get a BYE week, beat somebody at home and likely travel to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship game.
Let’s face it, the Colts are not winning that game. Their defense isn’t good enough, and Chuck Pagano has shown zero ability to coach anywhere near Bill Belichick’s level in previous matchups.
New England might not make it back to the Super Bowl. Injuries could derail the Patriots or a team could rise up and surprise us all. These things happen in the NFL.
Brady might not reach his seventh Super Bowl, but he will win the AFC East. Come January, this suspension will be nothing more than a distant memory that means zip.