Cheaters with the Heat

      

  Today, we found out the Tom Brady will in fact be suspended for his role in Deflategate. It was kind of surprise to find this out. I believe it is the right call. How is it that Tom Brady is not punished for something he was directly involved? The Patriots have already paid the price, but not Brady.  There are still many questions to answer, but I really only have one: How will it affect his teams play? The Patriots play the Cardinals, Dolphins, Bills, and Texans. He comes back week 5 against the Browns.

   Everyone knows how the quarterback position is the most important position on the football field. More importantly, everyone knows how important Tom Brady has been to his team over the past 14 years. The last time the Patriots were without Brady (2008 season, Matt Cassel), the Patriots were 11-5 and didn’t even make the playoffs! In order to really salvage the season, the Patriots would really need to go 2-2. The big test is against the Cardinals. They have an elite defense, an MVP caliber quarterback (Carson Palmer), and they were an NFC Championship game away from the Super Bowl. Yes, the Patriots have Gronk, Martellus Bennett, and Julian Edelmen, but they don’t have a running to fall back on.

  Besides for the Cardinals, the Texans are probably the other potential lose in this equation. If healthy, they can have an elite defense. JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney manning that defense is scary. If Brook Oswiler is actually worth what they paid, he will be a nice compliment to them with the help of DeAndre Hopkins. It was already a test for Tom Brady with this defense, but for whoever is replacing him Good Luck!! The Texans proved to be scrappy last year and beat out Andrew Luck for the AFC South division title.

   If we know anything, Bill Belichick has enough time to come up with some tricks. He has been in this game way too long not to figure something out. Look what he did with Matt Cassel when Brady got injured in 2008. Everyone forgets that Belichick is a defensive mastermind. He was defensive coordinator for Bill Parcells Giants teams, who had Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks, and won a Super Bowl with them. He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

   If you want my honest opinion, it is time that the Patriots starting thinking for the future. These 4 games could really show who maybe to step up for Tom Brady. If that backup performs well enough in 4 games, they could bring in extra draft picks or young players in a trade. We all know Tom Brady has 4 years left on his contract. If Tom Brady wasn’t always connected to scandals, he would have a cleaner record and there would be no “What-Ifs” for his team. Tom Brady is not stupid; he knows how the system works.

  The real question that presents itself: Why Tom Brady didn’t feel the need to be a team player in this case? Many people are probably thinking “What the hell are you talking about? He took a paycut for the team.” Yes you are right, but it was because of him that the team lost its first round draft pick, paid a hefty fine, and doesn’t have its established quarterback for the crucial first 4 games of the season. All for this for what exactly? Making the Super Bowl? If his teammates knew about this, I could almost but guarantee you they would not want him to do it. Let’s just hope, for the sake of Patriots fans, their season is not totally up in flames by the time he comes back.