Patriots feel ‘not far off ’ after loss to the Bucs
Running game has yet to click for New England
Nick Folk’s 56-yard field-goal attempt came within about a foot of spoiling Tom Brady’s return to New England.
Instead, it clanged off the left upright, cementing a 19-17 loss to the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday that underscored another night of missed opportunities for a Patriots team that fell to 1-3 for the first time since 2001.
New England’s defense was stout, holding its third opponent this season to less than 20 points. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones looked like a veteran at times opposite a future Hall of Famer, throwing a pair of TD passes to push Brady and the Bucs to the brink.
Yet the Patriots walked off the field lamenting lingering issues on offense, including costly turnovers, an ineffective run game and poor performance on third down.
There were also things to build on for a team that still has plenty of time to improve on last year’s 7-9 record.
For starters, Jones finished 31-for-40 for 275 yards — all season highs. He had one interception, but it came on a tipped ball after linebacker Devin White got a free run on the quarterback.
Jones also had a stretch where he completed 19 straight passes, tying Brady for the longest streak in a single game by a Patriots quarterback in the past 30 years. Brady did it in Week 1 of the 2015 season against Pittsburgh.
It’s a sign Jones is getting comfortable in the offensive system and is successfully reading defenses.
“I think we moved in the right direction,” Jones said. “We moved the ball, passing well and the run game needs to improve and we’ll come up with ways to do that.”
What might be most important is that through four games, Jones has the confidence of his teammates.
“He keeps showing he’s got some guts. It’s an honor to get to play with a guy like that,” center David Andrews said. “We just have to find a way to win.”