Will Tom Brady Return to Form this Season?

Many people are asking the same question: Can Tom Brady come back better than ever?

After missing the entire 2008 season due to a knee injury, Brady will be back. The question is, however, will he began where left off?

Odds are that it will take some time to adapt to playing against tough defenses and playing every day. Brady hasn't played football since September 2008. To make matters worse for Brady, he will have to play two divisional opponents in the first two weeks of the regular season.

He will also go up against Atlanta's tough defense in Week 3, Baltimore's physical defense in Week 4 and the Titans rock-solid D in Week 6.

Those are not the teams you want to start out playing if you are Brady and the New England Patriots.

Also, the Patriots don't have Matt Cassel to back-up Brady anymore. He's with the Chiefs now. If Brady injures himself again, the Patriots best backup is Matt Gutierrez, a quarterback who has only played two games in the NFL.

The Pats' division has gotten a lot tougher since two years go. The Dolphins are back and becoming a real contender. Buffalo is getting better and better as the years go by. Now they have two big threats at wide receiver. They have Lee Evans and Terrell Owens.

As for the Jets, they have a rookie quarterback to lead their team, Mark Sanchez from USC. Sanchez only played a season at USC before being drafted by the Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft.

It isn't going to be easy for the Patriots to win the division. It won't be as easy as it was two years ago. Brady isn't going to return to form until most likely around Week 8 or Week 9.

Also, after Week 8, the Patriots' schedule doesn't get any easier. They have six road games, including one against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This year could be the toughest season Brady will face.