As every New Englander knows, Tom Brady was the quarterback for the New England Patriots for 20 years, leading them to become six-time Super Bowl Champions. On October 3, 2021, Tom Brady returned to Foxboro, but he was not wearing a Patriots uniform. Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 20, 2020, shocking everyone as his time with the Patriots had come to an end. Since leaving the Patriots, fans have wondered if Tom would ever go head to head with his former team, and in his second season on the Buccaneers, Brady finally returned to Gillette Stadium. With tickets as expensive as $10,000, it was one of the biggest regular season games in NFL history. It ended up being a very challenging game for both teams physically and emotionally.

 The Patriots new quarterback, Mac Jones, played arguably the best game of his NFL career so far, completing 31 of 40 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Fans were on the edge of their seats the entire game as the score kept changing until the final moment when the Patriots kicker, Nick Folk, attempted a 56 yard field goal. He just missed by a few inches, hitting the post. Unfortunately, this sealed the deal on the Buccaneers win ending the game at 19-17.

After the game, Tom Brady was able to reconnect with many of his former teammates and the head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, who drafted and coached Tom for 20 years. Before the game he reunited with Patriots owner, Robert Kraft (owner since 1994), and former opponent and friend Drew Brees, who played for the New Orleans Saints up until last year and is now retired. In an interview after the game, Brady expressed his appreciation for the 20 years he spent in New England and to his fans in Boston while staying positive for the future of his new team. Altogether, it was a great football game between two very talented and promising football teams.

Laurel Kelly ‘24, Staff Writer

24lkelly@montroseschool.org