A steady rainfall came down for the majority of the game, but in an almost biblical manner, cleared in an instant as soon as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the ball late in the fourth quarter. Patriots fans finally got a taste of what it felt like to watch Brady go to work with the game on the line, and the result could not have been any more predictable.

The Patriots would get one more chance at taking the lead after Brady led the Buccaneers on a lead-taking drive, and rookie quarterback Mac Jones would lead New England all the way to the Buccaneers 37 yard line. Jones had slot receiver Jakobi Meyers open on a crucial third down but Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David was able to get his hands on it and tip the pass, forcing Belichick to send out his kicker in the pouring rain. The kick would ricochet off of the crossbar thunderously and the Buccaneers would narrowly escape Gillette Stadium with a win.

The crowd was divided and mercurial throughout the entire game. Many fans had jerseys that were half Buccaneer and half Patriot. Brady would get an array of cheers and boos coming out of the tunnel or walking onto the field. He got a brief moment of recognition for breaking the all-time passing yards record, but as fans applauded him, Brady snapped the ball before anyone could truly appreciate the moment. As always, Brady was honed in on one thing, winning the game.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would find ways to get after Brady all game. The Patriots stayed in a lot of man coverage and forced Brady to find mismatches with ideal accuracy in the rain. This worked to the Patriots favor as Brady would go on to score zero passing touchdowns and he leaned heavily on Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette who would run for 91 yards.

Meanwhile, the Patriots running game would falter for yet another week, totaling -1 yards, forcing the offense to lean on the rookie Jones. Jones would go on to thrive, going 31/40 for 275 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. This would include a barrage of 19 straight completions. Jones would end up with more yards and touchdowns than Brady after the game.

Patriots tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith would both score in the red zone, which was refreshing to see after Smith struggled mightily last week against the New Orleans Saints. Meyers would once again have a great game, tallying 70 receiving yards on eight receptions, throwing for 45 yards as well and continues to prove that he’s Jones’ go-to guy.

Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon would once again shine as our best pass rusher, even catching the eye of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. Judon got the Patriots only sack of the game when he bulldozed through Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa and running back Ronald Jones to pounce on Brady. Patriots corner Jonathan Jones would lead the team in tackles.

The Patriots finish the first quarter of the season with a 1-3 record, with two losses decided by one possession in games where they had crucial turnovers. The team can definitely put themselves in positions to win games and now they just have to find a way to close out games. As Jones grows, games will only get easier, especially if the running game can find a way to become prolific again once right tackle Trent Brown returns from injury. The Patriots play the struggling Texans next week.

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