FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The 35-17 final score tells a little bit of a fib. Sundays victory over the desperate Cincinnati Bengals wasnt an easy one for the New England Patriots. Early on, tight end Martellus Bennett knows, it wasnt that much fun to watch.It was a slow start, so we probably lost some viewers, probably had some people walk out of the movie theater, Bennett said. But youve got to stay until the end of the movie.Especially now that the Patriots have their leading man back.Yeah, Tom Bradys team went 3-1 in the four games he missed, so they werent exactly lost without him. But something about this teams confidence feels different now that hes back. With Brady under center, the Patriots have pivoted from the silliness of the suspension to the serious business of their season. Its no longer about how theyll survive without him. Its about how the real, full-strength 2016 Patriots figure out how to win games. About the panicked look on the faces of New Englands opponents when they realize the Death Star is fully operational.I think were at a decent place, Brady said after the game, his team 5-1 and in first place in the AFC East. So weve just got to keep stringing these games together. They made it challenging on us, but were trying to figure out what were made of, and it was good to get going there in the second half.The Bengals did make it challenging. They whacked Brady around for much of the first half, moving him off his spot with their front four while covering well enough on the back end to challenge him. Early in the third quarter, Cincinnati -- a team thats supposed to be unable to score touchdowns -- led the game 14-10. Late in the game, after the Patriots had come back to take the lead and control, the Bengals went Bengal. Flags flew, whistles whistled and the guys in the striped shirts were wedging themselves in between the big dudes in the colorful jerseys.But all of that was orbital, and the steady center was Brady. As tough as it looked for much of the day, you look at the box score and see that he was 29-for-35 for 376 yards and three touchdowns. And you shake your head, because thats incredible. But its really just Brady.Hes the best, receiver Danny Amendola said. Hes the best teammate. Hes awesome. We were all excited to get out there today for him.Again, this team was 3-1 with Brady on suspension. They won in Arizona. They shut out the Texans on a short week with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. You wouldnt think they needed a confidence boost.But Brady is more than just a confidence boost. Hes the engine. The battery. The gravitational center. You can cast your movie with talented up-and-comers and feel fine about it. But when George Clooney shows up to play the lead, thats when you let yourself believe you have a hit on your hands.So while Brady did return from his suspension last week in Cleveland, his first home?game of the year was Sunday, and it was a feel-good party for the Foxborough faithful. They played a welcome back highlight video before the game, and the place erupted as Brady led the team out of the tunnel and onto the field. Chants of Bray-DEE! Bray-DEE! reverberated around Gillette Stadium as their hero fought through a tough start and quietly, surgically picked apart one of the AFCs nastiest defenses.It was an electric environment out there with Tom back, receiver Julian Edelman said.Brady said he felt the emotions too, at the beginning. But it didnt take long for it to start feeling like business.Once I got out there running around, it felt like football, Brady said. Youre not going to win because youre emotional, but I think having your attitude right mentally and physically, that allows you to be at your best.The Patriots are 5-1, and with Brady back their attitude looks right. They have tough road games coming up the next two weeks in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. But with Brady back in his leading role, theres a feeling around here that nothing is going to rattle them. Not an early deficit. Not even some late-game, post-whistle scrapping with Vontaze Burfict that earned Rob Gronkowski a 15-yard personal foul.We know tempers flare whenever things dont go their way, running back LeGarrette Blount said, from up on the high road. But their (2-4) record doesnt showcase how good they are. Theyre a really good football team.The 2016 Bengals still have to prove that. The 2016 Patriots are well on their way. With Bradys name back on the marquee, the Patriots movie is picking up steam. 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Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter.Just over 20 years ago, Michael Jordan and the Tune Squad shocked the universe by storming back to beat the heavily favored Monstars.OK, so it wasnt real. But it did happen in Space Jam. And it had SportsNation wondering, for the latest #PulseOfTheNation question:Since the Monstars are a collection of players from across the NBA, the Golden State Warriors might seem like the natural fit, with two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry having been joined this offseason by 2014 Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant. But as LZ Grandeerson said in the video above, the Cavaliers are the champs, and therefore they stake some level of claim to the title.ddddddddddddThen there are the Clippers, with their trio of polarizing stars (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan) and their hot start to the season. Of course, we have to leave the option open for another team ... perhaps those five-time champion San Antonio Spurs? ' ' '