New England Patriots: Tom Brady ready for challenge of December football

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are entering the stretch run of the season and are ready for the challenge.

If you are a New England Patriots fan, this is the time of the season you are most thankful for.

Unlike most other teams in the NFL, the defending Super Bowl champions are always consistently either at the top of the conference or contending for the top record for that very important home field advantage heading into the season. That’s really what December football has become all about for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Following a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, followed by wins against both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, the Pats are heading into Houston to take on a very tough Texans team led by another mobile, young quarterback in Deshaun Watson.

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A combination of Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott, the Patriots defense should be prepared to defend a quarterback they have already faced a couple of times the last couple seasons.  Offensively, Tom Brady and crew will have their work cut out for them, but if there is a time to get it all together it is now.

Speaking to the media Friday, Brady emphasized the importance of this time of year.

"“Yeah, this is an important time of year for every team and the teams that are fortunate enough to really still be in it,” Tom Brady said Friday, as transcribed by WEEI. “This is the time where you’ve pretty much seen what you can do and what the other teams can do and the roles guys play and so forth. So, we’ve got to – we’re playing some really good teams, and this is the one that matters the most is the one that we’ve got ahead of us. It’s a great football team, well-coached, very good on offense, very good on defense. They don’t beat themselves, they’re explosive. It’s just a great football team. So, big challenge for us, Sunday Night Football. I’m sure they’re going to give us everything they’ve got, and hopefully we can go match it.”"

With a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs looming, this is an important game for the New England Patriots to have.  Not only will a win keep them ahead of the charging Ravens, it also keeps them in control of their own division as the Buffalo Bills continue their winning ways in the AFC East.

This is also an important stretch of games for Tom Brady to get this offense rolling.  With Isaiah Wynn returning against the Cowboys, the offensive line seems a bit steadier. Even at the age of 42, if Brady has time to throw the ball, he is still capable of being a very dangerous quarterbacks, especially if he gets all his weapons on the field at the same time.

Despite the struggles of the offense, a core of Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett, N’Keal Harry, James White, Sony Michel and Ben Watson is enough to put up some points and they well.

The only question for the New England Patriots is when it all will click.  When will the defense, offense and special teams all come together?

With any Bill Belichick coached team, it usually happens after Thanksgiving.  So, the time is now.