After a bismol and disappointing start to the Patriots season vs. the Chiefs, the Patriots got off on the right foot against Drew Brees and his Saints, beating them 36-20.
Tom Brady had one of his best starts.
Jake Paquin / photo editor
Brady threw three touchdowns in the first quarter, that being something he has never done before. After a week where Brady did not manage to throw a single touchdown, he finished by going 30-39, with 447 passing yards, and a QBR (total quarterback rating) of 139.6.
He also was named the American Football Conference (AFC) offensive player of the week.Not to mention, he broke the record for most games with three plus passing yards and no interceptions.
This was a record previously held by none other than Peyton Manning with 51 games and now Brady with 52 games. All last week, there were questions as to whether Brady had what it takes to be an elite quarterback at age 40.
Brady proved all his doubters wrong, as he usually does, and went out and displayed why his team is still a force to be reckoned with.Not only did Brady have a good game, but Rob Gronkowski (Gronk) went out and showed, again, why he is an elite at his position.
He finished with 116 receiving yards and a season highlight of a 53-yard touchdown, featuring broken tackles and the speed of Gronk.
Gronk left the game in the second half with a minor groin injury.
Drew Brees, who is also considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league, could not keep up with the Patriots’ offense.
He was 27 of 45 for 356 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints spent the entire game trying to keep up with the Patriots’ offense and it showed; on fourth down in the second quarter with 2:27 left on the clock, the Saints decided to go for the first down, despite being in field goal range.
Brees and Brady are two of the most elite quarterbacks of their era and hold much respect around the league.
Between the two of them, they have combined for 992 touchdowns and 128,251 passing yards.
Gronk’s injury proved to be nothing serious, so everyone in Patriots Nation can let out a sigh of relief after fears of whether he may have hurt his back again because of the abnormal tackle he sustained. He later told reporters that right away, he knew it was nothing serious or anything for him to be worried about, but out of safety concerns, it was smart to take him out of the game.
In addition to Gronk’s groin injury, Rex Burkhead left the game in the first half with a rib injury, and defensive back Eric Rowe was treated for a groin injury.
After all is said and done, the Patriots got on the right foot, and to keep up in this competitive league, they must play on the same level against rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.
Paul Bean can be contacted at pbean@kscequinox.com
