Tom Brady and Bill Belichick dominated the headlines throughout the week leading up to last night’s primetime showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots in Foxborough. Sunday Night Football even brought out the big guns…putting together a moving, dramatic, and I dare say, romantic promo set to the tune of Adele. The game itself was as good as you could’ve asked for. Brady was doing his best to slice and dice in the rain and soggy playing conditions. Belichick was throwing the kitchen sink at the Bucs defense. It was a pretty even chess match between the two. Cris Collinsworth even noted on the postgame coverage that if you’re looking at it purely between Brady and Belichick, it felt more like “a draw.” Ultimately, it came down to a missed field goal that allowed the Bucs to retain a 19-17 lead. And, while all the pageantry of Brady returning to Gilette Stadium drew the eyeballs of football fans all over the country, one storyline emerged out of the game that I don’t think any of us were quite expecting: Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones is absolutely ready for the big stage.
He went 31/40 for 275 yards with two touchdowns, and an interception. But, the major things I noticed aren’t going to show up in the box score. Jones was confident out there in a massive game. He showed tremendous resolve in the passing game when the run game clearly wasn’t working (the Pats rushed for a cumulative -1 yards on the night). He was accurate in those short and intermediate routes that the Pats passing game is built on, and he was in command of the offense, identifying the Bucs coverages and attacking the weaknesses of that defense. It was enough to make you say, “whoa – I get it.”
Mac Jones just hit the Bucs with the okie doke pic.twitter.com/4zFxP5zw5f
— SoBros Network (@SoBrosNetwork) October 4, 2021
At one point, Jones had 19 straight completions. There was a bad near-interception late in the game that Jones just about threw straight to Devin White. He was scrambling out of the pocket to his right and tried to force a throw across his body. That was a major rookie mistake, and he’s lucky it didn’t end the game right there. But, overall, you see why the Patriots drafted the guy, and you can clearly see that he is a perfect fit with Josh McDaniels and that Pats offense. The future is bright.
For all of the shit Jones took leading up to the draft, he actually looks like the best rookie quarterback out there through four games. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson have each shown flashes of greatness, but haven’t strung together consistent play the way Jones has. Justin Fields has struggled. And, Trey Lance had been used sparingly prior to taking over the job during yesterday’s loss to the Seahawks. We won’t even mention Davis Mills. Obviously, we can’t jump the gun and declare this race over yet. But, for Jones, he’s showing that he’s damn sure capable of being the next franchise quarterback for the Patriots, and he’s ready for the big stage.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
