Patriots' Mac Jones reveals message Tom Brady had for him after Bucs victory
Jones played well but said the Patriots don't 'do moral victories'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tom Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a narrow victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday night in a stadium he called home for 20 years.
After the game, he shared a simple message with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who held his own on a field with one of football’s greatest.
Jones told reporters during the postgame press conference that he briefly got to speak with Brady after the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TOM BRADY, BILL BELICHICK HUG AFTER GAME, MEET IN LOCKER ROOM
"[I] got a chance to congratulate him on the win and he's a great quarterback and yeah, he played well tonight and that's pretty much all there was to it," he said of the interaction. "He just told me to keep my head up and keep working."
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) sets the play against Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Lavonte David (54) and defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (56) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Mac Jones finished 31 of 40 for 275 yards and two touchdowns while the Patriots defense limited Brady to 22 of 43 for 269 yards and no touchdowns. But for Jones, losing in style is still losing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We don't really do moral victories. Those are always forgotten. But you just kind of have to take it for what it's worth and move on."
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Brady himself seemed to acknowledge the difficulty of playing against his former team, a first since signing with the Bucs in March 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's not that I would predict what would happen," he said. "There were a few emotional moments thinking about the people that meant so much in my life. My football journey took me somewhere else."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) yells to the crowd as he takes the field to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports )
Coach Bill Belichick said after the game that while the circumstances might be different, playing against his former quarterback was nothing new for the team.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Look we went against Tom Brady every day, every day in practice defensively. So it's not like we've never seen Tom Brady before."
Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts to a call during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
The Patriots are 1-3 for the first time since 2001 while Belichick dropped to 8-12 since Brady left New England.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.