3:40 p.m.: Applause from fans at the bar as Chris Hogan returns to the field for the Patriots. He was questionable to return after suffering a head injury.
3:28 p.m.: Touchdown Browns. Charlie Whitehurst finds Connor Hamlet for the score, making it 30-13. The failed two-point conversion gets a few cheers from the crowd.
3:13 p.m.: Brady’s return is going smoothly for the Patriots, who hold a comfortable 23 point lead late in the 3rd quarter. High-fives for days here at Cask ‘N Flagon.
2:57 p.m.: Martellus Bennett scores his third TD of the game. The Patriots are now up, 30-7. A lone Cleveland fan in the bar does not seem surprised, and accepts what is happening with grace and dignity.
2:31 p.m.: It’s halftime! The Patriots lead 23-7. Brady is 18 of 25 for 271 yards and two TDs. He’s back all right.
2:29 p.m.: A Stephen Gostkowski missed kick is always shocking to Patriots fans. A collective sigh is heard from fans at the bar as he fails to convert a 50-yarder.
2:21 p.m.: If necessary, ALDS Game 4 will be played on Tuesday, October 11 at a time to be determined. Tuesday was originally supposed to be a travel day. Alright, now back to football.
1:58 p.m.: Welp, at least we have the Pats. Today’s ALDS Game 3 between the Indians and the Red Sox at Fenway Park is postponed due to the weather. It will take place tomorrow night.
1:51 p.m.: Patriots touchdown! It’s Brady to Bennett again. Pats go up, 23-7. Meanwhile, things are getting worse for Cleveland.
1:45 p.m.: Will someone help this man? He didn’t get our outfit memo.
1:33 p.m.: Yep, Brady is back. He finds Martellus Bennett, who cruises into the end zone for a TD. Patriots up, 14-7. Also, this is very true:
1:24 p.m.: Cleveland responds with a touchdown of their own. Crickets from the crowd.
1:13 p.m.: Patriots touchdown! Blount finds the end zone as New England makes it look easy with the first score of the game. This pleases the fans.
1:01 p.m.:
12:45 p.m.: We are 15 minutes away from the start of the Patriots’ game. Of course the rain in Boston hasn’t stopped fans from coming out, umbrellas and all. If you are on your way out the door and want to fit in with the crowd, it’s safe to say the most popular outfit is a Brady jersey. The Red Sox hat/Patriots shirt combo is also a safe bet.
Pregame: Sunday is a big one for Boston fans, so what better place to see their reactions to Tom Brady’s return to the New England Patriots and the Red Sox’s win-or-go-home playoff game than the Cask ‘N Flagon?
Right behind Fenway Park’s Green Monster, on the corner of Brookline Avenue and Lansdowne Street, the Cask is the city’s most iconic sports bar and pregame meeting place. NESN.com’s Rachel Holt will be there during the Patriots’ 1 p.m. ET game against the Cleveland Browns as fans revel in Brady’s first game before the Red Sox try to stave off elimination in Game 3 of their American League Division Series against the Indians at 4 p.m. ET.
Follow along here, as Rachel soaks up the atmosphere of a big sports day and brings you the latest fan reactions from inside the Cask.