Mac Jones Facing Defining Moment Ahead of Tom Brady's Return

All eyes will be on Tom Brady when he makes his return to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup with the New England Patriots. 

However, that doesn’t mean that Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at WynnBET at +350 odds, doesn’t have some added pressure in this matchup. 

The Patriots and Bill Belichick chose to let Brady walk ahead of the 2020 season, and they promptly watched him win a Super Bowl his first season in Tampa Bay. Not great. 

However, the Pats found the new future of their franchise, or so they hoped, when they took Jones with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

After going 1-1 in his first two starts playing as a game manager, Jones struggled in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, tossing three interceptions. Like any other rookie quarterback. Jones is learning, but offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is hoping the rookie can respond to the adversity on Sunday Night Football. 

“You are going to have adversities,” McDaniels said. “You may have a bad quarter, may have a bad day, you may have a bad week, it doesn’t mean you can let that snowball into a bad season. Just taking as much as you can from each opportunity to learn. The adversities are sometimes our best teachers.”

The quarterback on the opposite sideline may be the best player in NFL history at responding to adversity, and the Patriots and their fans hope that Jones can show he has that same spirit in him. 

WynnBET has the Buccaneers as seven-point road favorites against Mac and the Pats. While a win by Jones in this matchup won’t make fans forget about their beloved Brady, it would go a long way for Jones’ confidence as he tries to fill those shoes.

WynnBET Promo: Bet $1, Win $100 if any NFL or college football team scores. Claim your offer now.