Entertainment Sports Patriots Quarterback Mac Jones Reveals What Tom Brady Told Him After Showdown in New England Mac Jones and the Patriots nearly spoiled Tom Brady's return to New England on Sunday, but Tampa Bay secured a win after their opponent missed a field goal in the final seconds of the game By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 4, 2021 03:33 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty; Maddie Meyer/Getty While Mac Jones and the New England Patriots came up short in their game against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, the team put up an admirable fight. The Patriots lost to the Buccaneers 17-19 after a missed field goal in the closing moments of the game, handing Brady a victory in his return to the city he called home for 20 years. It was an emotional night that saw Patriots fans shower Brady, their former quarterback, with cheers before the game, only to emphatically boo him after kickoff. Jones, the Patriots' 23-year-old rookie quarterback, finished with 31 of 40 completions, 275 passing yards, and two touchdowns, which helped New England earn a first-half lead before Brady and the Buccaneers came marching back. "After the game, I got a chance to congratulate him on the win and he's a great quarterback," Jones said after he and Brady met following the game. "And yeah, he played well tonight and that's pretty much all there was to it." "He just told me to keep my head up and keep working," Jones, a University of Alabama graduate, added. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win in His First Game Against Patriots Since Leaving New England With the Patriots now 1-3 to start the season, Jones admitted there is work to be done moving forward. "I think just coming in and learning from a lot of the older guys, I have a long way to go, and I just try to put my best foot forward every day, and we all want to win," he said in a post-game press conference on Sunday. "So it sucks right now, but I think we have to take it for a positive and just trust our leaders." RELATED VIDEO: Tom Brady Jokes About His Dad's Recent Patriots Comments, Says He's Putting Him 'In a Home' "We have great leadership on the team, and I can do a better job in practice just being vocal, getting everybody going and I think we made strides but we just have to listen to our leaders and not lose hope," Jones continued. "We have a long season ahead and there's a lot of work to do and we have a lot of progress to make, so we will." Gisele Bündchen and Kids Cheer on Tom Brady as He Returns to New England with Buccaneers: 'We Are Ready!' The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers are now 3-1 on the season, with their only loss coming in week three against the Los Angeles Rams.