Brady's Back: The Road To Miami Starts Now

It's clear that the 2008 New England Patriots were dealt a terrible hand when Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady went down with a devastating knee injury in week one of the 2008 NFL Season.  Matt Cassel took over this team and led them to an impressive 11-5 record, barely missing out on a playoff berth.

Nine months later, the picture looks a lot different.  Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel were shipped to Kansas City, and superstar Tom Brady is back from his injury.  Veteran running back Fred Taylor signed with the Patriots and looks to be compete for the starting job.  Bill Belichick and his staff addressed many positions in the draft and are regaining their championship form.

After coming so close to perfection during the 2007-2008 run, a lot of Pats' fans have high hopes for this upcoming season.  Assuming Tom Brady regains his old form, there's no telling how dangerous this team could become. 

The Patriots have all the tools and intangibles needed to return to the ways that brought them three Super Bowl championships in four years from 2001-2005.

The Patriots will have a tough road to the Super Bowl in Miami.  The AFC East has become tougher and tougher, as the teams around them have went out and got talent or brought in veteran coaching.

Who knows how Terrell Owens will impact the Bills, but he's sure to be a tough defensive assignment for whoever the Patriots decide to match him up with.  The Bills had a promising start last year, and will be two tough games for the Patriots this year.

The Jets have new head coach Rex Ryan.  He's a defensive specialist coming over from the Baltimore Ravens.  The defense was a big letdown toward the end of the season and he's proven to turn bad defenses around and make them look good.  There's also a young quarterback by the name of Mark Sanchez.  The USC Trojan will compete for the starting job and he certainly could have a positive effect on the Jets this season.

There's also those Miami Dophins.  Tony Sparano worked his magic last year and took a team that went 1-15 into an 11-5 division winner.  There's no telling what he has on the table for this season, but he knows they will have to continue to get better if they plan on repeating this season.

This conference might be the most intriguing in all of the National Football League.  The one factor that the Patriots have over every team is the coaching staff led by the brilliant mind of Bill Belichick.  He was limited last year when Brady went down but that didn't stop him from having a successful season that included a series of unfortunate events.

This is a fresh start and the Patriots have the offensive firepower to win games.  Fred Taylor is sure to boost a ground game that was injury prone and inconsistent last year.  The wide receiving crew, led by Randy Moss and Wes Welker, will have some veteran help with speedster Joey Galloway and reliable Greg Lewis coming in from free agency.

The defense was formidable last year and the front office acquired four second-round picks which all addressed positions on the defensive side of the ball.  Hard hitting strong safety Patrick Chung is sure to be valuable in the secondary as the season gets going. 

Also watch out for cornerback Darius Butler out of Connecticut.  He may be one of the most athletically gifted players in the draft in a long time.  He's drawn comparisons to former Pats' CB Asante Samuel, and is sure to be an exciting player in the return game.

Tom Brady must regain his pre-injury form in order for this team to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2010.  Being back this early is a good sign for the Patriots.  They can't afford for Brady to return from his injury like Carson Palmer did.

The Bengals and Patriots are two totally different franchises, but a knee injury like this can impact a career for years to come.  We truly won't know until Brady is back on the field and taking live snaps.  It's certainly going to be interesting to see.

As long as Brady his protected by his veteran line anchored by Dan Koppens and Logan Mankins, I'm sure he will be fine.  It's hard to determine because last time he played an entire season he was simply magical.  He broke many passing records and was a David Tyree remarkable catch away from perfection.

That's why they play the game.  This season will be no different and all eyes will be on Brady as he opens up his season on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.  The real road to Miami will start then, but right now the offseason is just as important for not only Brady, but every other player in the National Football League.