Nature is healing. People are going outside again, the Mets have missed the playoffs, and defending Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady is playing in front of thousands of screaming fans at Gillette Stadium.
Well, not exactly.
Brady, now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is heading to Foxborough this Sunday for his first ever matchup against his former team, the New England Patriots. A lot is at stake for this game - with just 67 passing yards, Brady would overtake Drew Brees as the all time leader in passing yards, which would further solidify his case as the best to ever play. There is also a bit of bad blood between Brady and the organization, especially with his former head coach Bill Belichick. According to Seth Wickersham in his upcoming book "It's Better To Be Feared", Belichick refused to even meet with is Hall of Fame quarterback in the days leading up to his departure and was ready to move on from Brady despite him having a few years left before his retirement.
Despite this, the most important storyline might not be about Brady or Belichick. Instead of looking towards the past, we must choose to look towards the future and what it holds for the former dynasty in Massachusetts.
Enter Mac Jones. The 15th pick in last years draft, Jones is quickly learning how difficult it is to not only be a rookie quarterback, but to succeed the greatest quarterback in franchise history. While his Patriots are 2-1 so far, his QBR is a rather pedestrian 52%, and he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns through 3 games. Granted, Jones is a rookie, so growing pains are to be expected. Patriots fans would be more than happy for him to continue average play, show signs of growth, and hopefully lead them to a playoff berth this season.
All of that is off the table for Sunday night. Nothing can prepare any quarterback to go against Tom Brady in the stadium he ruled for two decades, let alone a rookie. How Mac Jones responds to the pressure this week could be a huge testament to how he is viewed by the organization going forward. Most people do not expect the Patriots to win, and for good reason. However, if Mac is able to at least keep it competitive, show heart and have himself a solid game, Patriots fans should feel very pleased with his potential.
This might be the most difficult situation a rookie quarterback has ever been put in. As the successor to the king of New England, all eyes will be on him to perform. We know he can play under pressure - his Alabama team did win the National Championship just nine months ago. With a solid showing, Jones would go a long way to win over the hearts of Patriots fans across the country, and give them hope for the future, rather than reflecting on the past.
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