FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady hopes Sunday night represented the start of something good for his New England Patriots.
The veteran quarterback also hopes it puts an end to reports that there is tension between him and the coaching staff.
“Hopefully we can build on this,” Brady said Sunday after the Patriots rebounded from a blowout road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs to post a 43-17 rout of the previously unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals.
“It’s one game. As disappointing as last Monday night was, this one is great, we all feel great, but we also gotta get back to work tomorrow because we got a huge game this week against Buffalo (on the road).”
An ESPN report that came out Sunday said there was friction between Brady and the coaches, a problem that could see him end his career in another uniform. The report said rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a second-round draft pick, could become the starter sooner than people expect.
“I love all those guys, my coaches, and I’ve never had any tension with any of them, truthfully,” Brady said. “It’s unfortunate when some things get said and talked about, especially when they don’t come from me.
“When you’re in the middle of it — especially in the middle of a real tough week for our team, to deal with things that are really outside football, that are very personal, very personal relationships I’ve built up for a long time … I’ve got a lot of love and trust for everybody in this building. We all count on each other. We rely on each other.”
Facing the prospect of their first 2-3 start since 2001, the Patriots (3-2) made quick work of the NFL’s last unbeaten team, jumping to a 20-3 halftime lead and cruising to their 32nd consecutive home victory over an AFC opponent.
Brady, ineffective through much of the first four games, threw for a season-high 292 yards and two touchdowns, and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a career-high five field goals.
Brady, who heard chants of “Bra-dy, Bra-dy” from the supportive home crowd on four occasions, also became the sixth player in NFL history to throw for 50,000 yards. His touchdown passes went to tight ends Tim Wright and Rob Gronkowski.
Brady finished 23 of 35, and he wasn’t intercepted.
Running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen combined for 203 of the team’s 220 yards on the ground, with Ridley scoring a touchdown on the opening drive. Ridley ran for 113 yards on 27 carries, his seventh 100-yard game. Vereen gained 90 yards on nine carries.
“Obviously, a satisfying night tonight,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “I thought (the players and coaches) showed a lot of toughness all week.”
The Patriots won despite committing 12 penalties for 114 yards.
Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton completed 15 of 24 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked in the third quarter, the first time he was sacked this season.
The Bengals, who fell to 1-9 in Sunday night road games, went 0-for-7 on third downs in the game. Cincinnati (3-1) lost three fumbles, one of them picked up and returned for a third-quarter touchdown by New England cornerback Kyle Arrington on a kick return.
“No, we didn’t underestimate anybody,” said Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who caught five passes, one for a touchdown, but also lost one of the three fumbles. “We just had a bad game.”
Brady, not known for his running, had three runs on the opening scoring drive. He gained 6 yards on a scramble and then had two sneaks, one for a first down. Ridley ran in from a yard out, and it was 7-0.
Wright’s 17-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter boosted the lead to 14-0, and Cincinnati never recovered.
The Bengals, coming off a bye, trailed for a total of 48 seconds in their first three games but trailed for 55:03 in this one. They outscored their first three opponents 44-3 in the first half.
“The bye didn’t throw us off, we just didn’t play well,” Green said. “We don’t make excuses. We got our butts whipped.”
NOTES: Patriots WR Danny Amendola left the game with a head injury on the first play of the second quarter but returned later in the quarter and made his first reception since the season opener. … The Bengals were again missing LB Vontaze Burfict, who has sustained two concussions this season. They also lost replacement Sean Porter early in the game to a knee injury. … New England was missing LB Don’t’a Hightower (knee), S Nate Ebner (finger) and OT Cameron Fleming (finger), while S Devin McCourty and DE Dominique Easley left with injuries and didn’t return. … New England CB Brandon Browner and WR Brian Tyms, both eligible to return from four-game drug suspensions, were not activated. The team has until Monday to activate them after a one-game exemption. … TE Tim Wright made his first touchdown catch as a Patriot. He caught five TD passes last season as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.