Patriots - Browns Live Blog: Brady Leads Way In 33-13 Win Over Cleveland
BOSTON (CBS) -- Follow along for all the updates from Tom Brady's return, as the Patriots take on the Browns in Cleveland:
Final -- Patriots 33, Browns 13
The Patriots are 4-1 on the season as Tom Brady returns to lead them to a road victory over the Browns.
Brady threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns, all to tight end Martellus Bennett.
We'll be breaking this one down all evening, and be sure to tune in to Patriots 5th Quarter over on myTV38 (the only place to see Tom Brady's press conference live) and three full hours of postgame coverage on 98.5 The Sports Hub!
4th Quarter, 1:55: "Brady! Brady!" chants have broken out as Jimmy Garoppolo takes a knee to bleed out the clock in this one.
4th Quarter, 3:06: Matthew Slater gets the carry on third-and-3 and picks it up, moving the chains for the Patriots and keeping the clock ticking.
4th Quarter, 3:35: The Pats get the ball back, as Pyror can't connect deep with Ricardo Louis on fourth down. Cleveland wanted a PI call on Jonathan Jones, who was all over Louis, but their wishes went unheard by the officials.
4th Quarter, 3:57: It looks like the Browns are going to their third QB of the day, as Whitehurst limps off after getting drilled by Jonathan Jones.
That means QB/WR/RB Terrelle Pryor will be taking snaps for Cleveland the rest of the way. Really rough season to be a Browns quarterback, but that isn't anything new.
4th Quarter, 5:16: That drive didn't go very far. Blount picked up three yards on a first down carry before getting hit for no gain on second down. Garoppolo was under pressure on third down, and had to rush his throw to James White, which fell incomplete.
4th Quarter, 6:02: That's it for Tom Brady, with Jimmy Garoppolo taking over at quarterback.
Brady finished his 2016 debut 28-for-40 for 406 yards and three touchdowns.
4th Quarter, 6:02: Cleveland didn't have the ball for long, with a quick three-and-out as time winds down in the game.
Malcom Brown sacked Whitehurst on third-and-2 scramble to force another Cleveland punt, and the Pats will take over on their own 37 after a fair catch by Amendola.
4th Quarter, 7:42 -- Patriots 33, Browns 13
The Pats extend their lead with a 31-yard field goal by Gostkowski, capping off an 11-play drive that covered 72 yards over 6:23.
Brady went over the 400-yard mark on the drive. Gronk is also over 100 yards for the 21st time in his career.
4th Quarter, 8:49: Chris Hogan is back on the field after getting the all clear.
4th Quarter, 10:52: Patriots tight ends pick up 50 yards on two plays, with Brady hitting Bennett for 13 yards over the middle on a third-and-3 and then Gronk for 37 yards over the top a few plays later.
4th Quarter, 14:05 -- Patriots 30, Browns 13
Whitehurst found tight end Connor Hamlett in the end zone over Jonathan Jones for a 17-yard touchdown, but they missed the 2-point conversion as Whitehurst's couldn't connect with Pryor in the end zone.
End 3rd Quarter -- Patriots 30, Browns 7
The Browns are driving, but Brady chants have taken over.
3rd Quarter, 2:01: Hogan is heading to the New England locker room, likely to undergo the concussion protocol.
Meanwhile, the Patriots were forced to punt the ball away after Brady couldn't thread the needle to Bennett over the middle on a third down bid.
Brady is up to 339 yards on the afternoon, the 72nd 300-yard game of his career.
3rd Quarter, 3:01: Chris Hogan appears hurt again, after landing awkwardly after going airborne on an end-around that picked up two yards on second-and-8. The receiver fell on his head and shoulder after being taken down by Haden, but bounced up shortly after. He's now on the bench getting looked out by trainers, but appears to be OK.
3rd Quarter, 4:25: It wasn't pretty, but Brady picked up five yards on a third-and-5 run/dive out of bounds to move the chains for New England. He looked pretty darn happy with himself afterwards too.
Good to have you back, 12.
3rd Quarter, 5:55: Another three-and-out for the Browns, as Whitehurst couldn't connect with his receivers on second and third down bids.
The Pats will start on their own 25 after Edelman did some dancing, but couldn't pick up any yards on the ensuing punt.
3rd Quarter, 6:59: That drive went nowhere fast, with Brady getting tripped up and sacked by Jamie Meder on third-and-12.
A pair of Brady passes were nearly picked on the first two plays of the drive, one of which was negated by an offensive holding by center David Andrews.
The Browns will have the ball at their own 20-yard line after a holding penalty on the punt.
3rd Quarter, 8:06: Things go from bad to worse for the Browns, as Patrick Chung picks off his first pass of the season. Whitehurst's short third down bid bounced off the hands of running back Duke Johnson and right to Chung.
The Pats now take over at their own 34-yard line.
3rd Quarter, 8:35: Malcom Brown has his first sack of the season after taking down Whitehurt on a second down bid. It sets up a 3rd-and-21 for Cleveland.
3rd Quarter, 10:52: Cyrus Jones has been ejected from the game after being flagged for unnecessary roughness following a scuffle on the field. He threw a left hook (or two) after what he thought was a late block away from the ball.
He's been pretty bad over the last two weeks, so this may actually hurt the Browns more than the Patriots. Jonathan Jones will slide into that third corner spot in Jones' place.
3rd Quarter, 12:24 -- Patriots 30, Browns 7
Brady and Bennett have a hat trick today, hooking up for a third touchdown on the afternoon.
Brady hit a wide open Bennett for a 37 yard score, after Bennett made a nice jump and reach for the end zone before going out of bounds. The Browns might want to cover that guy.
After his third touchdown pass of the day, Brady is 22-for-31 for 330 yards
3rd Quarter, 13:23: The chains move again on third down, as Brady threads one to Gronk for 12 yards on a third-and-8.
3rd Quarter, 14:19: A defensive holding by Christian Kirksey moves the chains for the Patriots on a third-and-2 incomplete by Brady to James White.
3rd Quarter, 15:00: Cody Kessler has been ruled out for the Browns.
Halftime -- Patriots 23, Browns 7
A disappointing end to an otherwise stellar first half for the Patriots, as they take a 23-7 lead into the locker room. Tom Brady finished his first half of the season 18-for-25 for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Martellus Bennett. Chris Hogan leads the way for the New England offense with 114 yards on four receptions, and is back after leaving earlier after hitting his head on the field on a 64-yard connection with Brady.
2nd Quarter, 00:12: After picking up 29 yards, Brady's first 2-minute drill of the season stalls. Things got worse when Stephen Gostkowski missed a 50-yard field goal attempt wide right.
More missed points for the Patriots here in the second quarter.
2nd Quarter, 1:51: Things go the Patriots' way though, calling a timeout on second down before Whitehurst overthrew tight end Gary Barnidge on third-and-5.
They'll now get the ball back before halftime at their own 38-yard line after a 12-yard punt return by Edelman.
2nd Quarter, 3:10: A quick three-and-out for the Patriots offense, as Brady felt the pressure on third-and-10 (thanks to a high snap) and had to quickly get it to Malcolm Mitchell for a five-yard gain. Mitchell made a nice grab on the play, but could only pick up the five yards before running out of bounds.
Ryan Allen's first punt of the day went for 45 yards, with the Browns now taking over at their own 19-yard line.
2nd Quarter, 3:48: Whitehurst felt the pressure on that last drive, which ended with Jabaal Sheard taking the QB down on a third down scamper. A PI flag on Malcolm Butler gave Cleveland 21 free yards on the drive, but it didn't matter as they were forced to punt it away.
The Pats will now take over at their own 36.
2nd Quarter, 6:03: Well that didn't go as planned, with Blount getting hit for a loss on 4th-and-goal. Kind of surprised they didn't let Brady take that one in himself, given his 99.9% success rate on picking up short fourth downs.
2nd Quarter, 6:16: After Blount came up short on a third down carry, it looks like the Pats will go for it on fourth down.
2nd Quarter, 7:52: Brady really likes hitting Chris Hogan deep. The receiver beat Joe Haden up the sideline, and Brady delivered a perfect pass for a 63-yard connection to the Cleveland 6. It was Hogan's fourth reception of the day, and he's up to 114 yards
He was banged up on the play though, hitting his head hard on the ground.
2nd Quarter, 12:10: Whitehurst is under center for the Browns, who will start at their own 25 after a touchback by Stephen Gostkowski.
2nd Quarter,12:10 -- Patriots 23, Browns 7
Bennett makes another trip into the end zone, as Brady threads a beautiful third down pass to the tight end for six more points.
Three drives by the Patriots offense, three touchdowns by the Patriots offense. Good to have you back, No. 12. Brady is now 13-for-15 (with both incompletions drops) for 185 yards and two scores.
2nd Quarter, 13:40: The Pats are back in the red zone after Brady connects with Chris Hogan on a deep pass for 43 yards. Hogan made a phenomenal diving catch on the play.
End 1st -- Patriots 16, Browns 7
The Pats will change field with a 16-7 lead and the ball. Kessler is questionable to return with an injury to his chest and ribs.
1st Quarter, 1:20 -- Patriots 16, Browns 7
Welcome to the party, New England defense.
Dont'a Hightower just drilled Kessler, who threw a backwards pass in the end zone for a safety. The QB hit the ground hard on his shoulder, a hit that will have Jimmy Garoppolo cringing on the New England sideline.
Kessler has made his way to the locker room, so the Browns may be on their fourth quarterback of the season in Charlie Whitehurst when they get the ball back.
1st Quarter, 2:01: Rookie Cyrus Jones, who was burned on the Browns touchdown, is out with Jonathan Jones taking his place on the field.
1st Quarter, 2:06 -- Patriots 14, Browns 7
Tom Brady doesn't know what rust is and is making this look easy, hitting a wide open Martellus Bennett for a seven-yard touchdown to take back the lead. Bennett walked in, with no defenders anywhere in his vicinity. He tried to delivere a ferocious spike that would make Rob Gronkowski proud, but failed miserably. We'll just chalk it up to some over-excitement over catching his first touchdown from Tom Brady.
The score was set up by a 36-yard catch-and-run by James White down to the Cleveland 9 a few plays before. Brady is now 8-for-10 for 129 yards and a touchdown. He was 4-for-5 for 64 yards on his second drive of the day.
Now if only the defense could hold up their end of the equation...
1st Quarter, 4:41: After the two couldn't connect on a short second down bid, Brady fires a rocket to Edelman over the middle of the field for a 12-yard pickup on third-and-7 to move the chains.
It was a beautiful throw by Brady after a semi-high snap.
1st Quarter, 6:09: Martellus Bennett is back on the field for the Patriots offense.
Jones was out at New England's kick returner, with D.J. Foster fielding the kickoff.
1st Quarter, 6:09 -- Patriots 7, Browns 7
The struggles of the New England defense continue, as Kessler hits Andrew Hawkins for an 11-yard score to tie this one at 7-7. Hawkins was wide open in the end zone, beating rookie Cyrus Jones bad.
It capped off a nine-play, 75-yard drive for Cleveland.
1st Quarter, 8:03: The Pats D has given up another third down conversion, as Isaiah Crowell takes a short pass and turns it into an 18-yard gain to the New England 24.
The good news for the Patriots is Bennett is getting his ankle taped up on the sidelines and looks like he'll return.
1st Quarter, 10:32 -- Patriots 7, Browns 0
That was easy. Brady chants are back in Cleveland, as Blount takes it to the left and runs it in for the easy score, his fifth of the season.
Brady went 4-for-5 for 65 yards on the eight play drive that covered 80 yards.
1st Quarter, 10:41: LeGarrette Blount couldn't punch it in on 1st-and-goal, but the big news on the play is Martellus Bennett is hurt after having his right ankle rolled up on. He walked off the field, but we'll be keeping an eye on this one.
1st Quarter, 11:17: Tom Brady is back, and it appears so is the Rob Gronkowski we've come to love.
Brady hit Gronk again over the middle, and the behemoth tight end turned it into a 34-yard gain down to the Cleveland 2, trucking numerous defenders along the way.
1st Quarter, 12:38: Two quick completions for Brady and the Patriots offense, as he hits Julian Edelman for 10 yards and then Rob Gronkowski over the middle for 19 yards.
About that rust...
1st Quarter, 13:52: Quick three-and-out for the Browns, with Isaiah Crowell picking up five yards on two carries before Cody Kessler felt the heat from Dont'a Hightower and threw it way over his intended target on third down.
And here comes Tom Brady.
1st Quarter, 15:00: Rob Ninkovich is out there, getting the start along the New England defensive line.
Pregame -- 1:00 p.m.: The Patriots have won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
Pregame -- 12:59 p.m.: The Patriots have taken the field, led by Brady.
Edelman ran down the length of the field, so he looks ready for some big things this afternoon.
Pregame -- 12:23 p.m.: Don't expect Rob Ninkovich to be eased back into things on the defensive side of the ball, per head coach Bill Belichick on 98.5 The Sports Hub:
"Rob will definitely get a solid amount of playing time," said Belichick. "Good to have him back."
He also acknowledged that there may be an adjustment period for Brady after having to sit out the last month, but that was to be expected with Belichick downplaying Brady's return all week.
"I think there is always a period of adjustment getting back into football. But Tom had a good week and worked hard, like he always has," said the coach.
Pregame -- 12:10 p.m.: We're less than an hour away from kickoff and Tom Brady has taken the field. He's just a tad fired up about this one:
So are the Patriots fans in attendance -- and there's a lot of them:
Pregame -- 11:55 a.m.: Brady's return is the big story, but not to be overlooked is Rob Ninkovich rejoining the New England defense after his four-game suspension.
The Patriots have struggled mightily on third down through the first month of the season, allowing opponents to convert on 46 percent of their third down opportunities -- which is the third-worst in the NFL so far. Getting one of the defense's leaders back should help the Patriots improve on that number.
Pregame -- 11:30 a.m.: Tom Brady is back, but the following players won't be seeing the field this afternoon:
RB Brandon Bolden
DT Vincent Valentine
LB Shea McClellin
TE Greg Scruggs
CB Justin Coleman
CB Eric Rowe
OL Marcus Cannon
With Cannon out with a calf injury, that likely means Cameron Fleming will get the start at right tackle. Rookie corner Cyrus Jones will also likely see a boost in playing time with Justin Coleman out, with Jonathan Jones serving as New England's fourth corner. Expect a lot of three-safety defenses out there this afternoon for the Patriots.
Not appearing on the inactive list is backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was out the last two weeks with that shoulder injury he suffered back in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins. But much more importantly, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and LeGarrette Blount are all active.
Pregame -- 11:05 a.m.: It's pouring in New England, but those gray skies won't matter for much longer.
That's because Tom Brady is back. The Patriots quarterback makes his return from his four-game DeflateGate suspension against the Browns in Cleveland, and he'll hit the field super motivated to light up the scoreboard with that saga now completely behind him. We'll see how long it takes him to knock off any rust after spending a month away from the team, and getting his timing back with his collection of weapons may be the biggest hurdle for Brady and the New England offense. But it's Tom Brady, so don't expect that to take too long against a Cleveland defense that ranks in the middle of the pack (16th) allowing 259.8 passing yards per game.
And if you think Brady is pumped, just imagine how the rest of his team feels. Both Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski have had slow starts to the season, but that should all change with one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play back under center. The team is coming off an embarrassing 16-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, so everyone is looking to bounce back.
Brady and the Patriots are already in the house at First Energy Stadium. Check out defensive end Jabaal Sheard, a former Brown, wearing a backwards Brady jersey as he made his way into the stadium:
There will be plenty of Brady jerseys in the stands as well, with quite a few Patriots fans making the trip to Cleveland to see No. 12's return.
Stick with CBSBostonsports.com for all the updates throughout the game, which you can catch on both WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub. Both stations will have complete postgame coverage of Brady's return, and Patriots 5th Quarter (on myTV38 following the game) is the only place to see Brady's postgame press conference live.
