Tom Brady, Patriots Silence Critics in Statement Win over Bengals

Don't call it a comeback. 

Call it an awakening. 

The New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, downed the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bengals 43-17 on Sunday Night Football. Brady finished the game with 23-of-35 passing for 292 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was rejuvenated tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. 

Following the game, Brady told NBC's Michele Tafoya that the game was a "great opportunity" and repeatedly referenced how his teammates "dug deep" to win. 

Whatever they did worked. 

It wasn't just Brady. Many of the Patriots—offense, defense and special teams—seemed to be playing on edge Sunday night. It was as if the consistent drumbeat of well-earned "haterade" had simply worn down their defenses into a raw nerve.

New England seemed to leave its calm, business-like personas at home while remembering this football thing is both a game and a contact sport. The Pats trounced the Bengals with purpose and looked like they had lots of fun doing it. 

An Old Spark Reignited for Brady

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This used to be Brady's defining trait. 

I won't detail the QB's entire life story here, since most of you haven't been living under a football-free rock for the past two decades. What fueled Brady for much of his early career was the massive chip on his shoulder. 

There once was a time where Brady was considered an inferior passer to Drew Henson at Michigan and then Drew Bledsoe in New England. 

The thing is: He was inferior. 

Brady wasn't always the supermodel-marrying, jet-setting, paparazzi-enticing golden boy that he is now. What made Brady great was his ability to flat outwork anyone in his way. At Michigan, Henson was a far better athlete with a far better arm. In his rookie year, Brady had nothing on Bledsoe—who may have been a statue in the pocket but was still a veteran with a cannon for an arm. 

Without channelling Sigmund Freud too much, it seemed as if Brady's chip had turned to a sense of entitlement in recent years.

Last season, during the perfect storm of Patriots offensive woes (tight end Aaron Hernandez's arrest, Gronkowski's injury, Wes Welker's absence, etc.), Brady looked upset and petulant in response. Yes, the talented roster was looking as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard, but lesser quarterbacks have made due with tough situations in the past. 

Brady wasn't the problem with the Patriots in 2013, but he certainly wasn't interested in being the solution.

Then again, let's put this into perspective. 

Last season, New England was 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship Game. The team finished seventh in offensive yardage per game (384.5) and tied for second in average scoring (27.8). Brady had a down year personally, but the running game and defense stepped up in a big way. 

Brady and the Patriots didn't look right, but that's an issue with expectation more than results. 

On Sunday night, we saw a glimpse of the Brady we used to know. He wasn't winging the ball down the field to wide receivers like Deion Branch or Randy Moss, but he was surgical and, more importantly, driven.

It started when he marched New England down the field on the opening drive and simply refused to quit before the team got into the end zone. It didn't end until the clock reached zeroes at the end of the fourth quarter.  

Quit? None. 

Chip? Tons.

It Didn't Start or End with Brady

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

Many in the media rightfully gave Patriots head coach Bill Belichick a lot of grief for his "On to Cincinnati" press conference earlier in the week, but how perfect does it look in retrospect?

"On to Cincinnati" set the tone: It's not about excuses or explanations. We know who's accountable, but everyone at fault is aware of what he needs to improve upon and is ready to work on it. It was Belichickian obfuscation, but it was also a clear message to the team. 

The 2-2 record was no longer important; what happened in Week 5 needed their utmost attention. 

It worked. 

The Patriots offense wasn't content with taking just what the Bengals gave them, nor did it just look to exploit the juiciest matchups. Instead, New England's offensive line, which has been terrible, managed to dominate both pass protecting and in the run game. 

Brady was only sacked once, and running back Stevan Ridley rolled off 113 yards on the ground. Shane Vereen added 90 yards rushing and 18 more through the air. Linemen who were on their heels in recent weeks were suddenly on the offensive. 

Tight end Tim Wright, who had become a poster boy for Belichick's failures as a personnel chief, looked like a man possessed. The Bengals defense struggled to cover him, and he ended with five catches for 85 yards and a score (in five targets, no less). 

The Patriots had the ball for 38:56 minutes in this game, compared to the Bengals' 21:04. It kept the Bengals from finding any momentum.

Defensively, New England went right at Cincinnati. 

Most importantly, cornerback Darrelle Revis shadowed Bengals receiver A.J. Green, playing close man coverage and outmuscling him down the field—entirely eliminating him from the game plan. This is what Revis does best, and not doing it on almost every snap is foolish. 

About that battle with Green, Revis told Tafoya, "I tried to be aggressive as much as I could with him."

That, too, worked. 

The Patriots defenders were on a mission. They delivered a message, both legally and illegally, collecting a number of personal fouls, looking to play to the whisper at the end of the echo of the whistle. They also collected a number of turnovers, finishing the game with three takeaways. 

From coaching, mentality, offensive and defensive execution, you name it, New England was infinitely more ready for Sunday Night Football than Cincinnati. It was a fantastic performance—the kind viewers are used to seeing from Brady and Co. 

Don't call it a comeback, though...because this Patriots team never went anywhere. 

The sleeping giant is awake, and the rest of the NFL needs to watch out. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.