Tom Brady signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and winning Super Bowl LV with a team other than the Patriots was like a slap in the face for their fans around the country. But Brady had proven many wrong. Critics said that Brady was nothing without Bill Belichick and the powerhouse offense/defense that the Patriots built over multiple years. Everyone even said he was too old. But he still won his 7th Super Bowl with a new team, new players, and new coaches as well. Brady returned to Foxboro for Sunday night football, however, he was not a part of the home team this time. Brady was booed by his ex-fans as he jogged out to the field with the rest of his offense. Although Brady did not receive a warm welcome from Patriots fans, he did from their owner Robert Kraft; the two were seen talking to each other briefly a few hours before the game. Brady and the Bucs barely squeezed out a 17-19 win throughout the penalty-filled game. 

Junior and Patriots fan Robert Feulner said that “For me personally as a Patriots fan it was a mix of emotions. I was happy to see [Brady] return and be able to play there but sad to see him playing for another team. It was also painful to see him beat the Patriots on another team too.”  During the game, Brady became the leading passer in NFL history, which is a great achievement to add to his lengthy list. 

The Pats went into halftime down 7-6, and their offense didn’t really pick up until late in the third quarter where they relied heavily on handing the football to running back Leonard Fournette, marching up the field to score. Putting the patriots up 13-7. The Bucs’ kicker Ryan Succop had a field day last night, scoring 4 field goals, one of which (his third field goal) put the Bucs back up 16-14. With the Pats scoring another field goal, the Bucs responded also with a field goal setting the score at 19-17. Belichick brought out kicker Nick Folk for a 56 yard attempt with a little less than a minute in the 4th quarter, however, folk just barely missed the field goal, the ball bouncing off the up right. 

All in all, it was a great game to watch for everyone (except maybe Patriots fans). This game had fans and spectators on edge throughout the entirety of the game, and that is what I like to see in NFL games. Although fans might have been sad to see Brady playing for another team, they are going to have to work with Mac Jones, with other players stepping up too making them the team that they are known for with Brady.