FOXBORO, Mass. -- After nearly leading the New England Patriots to an unlikely victory Sunday night, Mac Jones met his predecessor, Tom Brady, at midfield.
Their interaction was brief, a quick exchange of congratulations and well-wishes. Jones said Brady left him with a simple message.
"He just told me to keep my head up and keep working," the rookie quarterback said after the Patriots' 19-17 loss to Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium.
Jones delivered an impressive performance in his fourth NFL start, exploiting an injury-depleted Buccaneers secondary while absorbing a barrage of hits from Tampa's pass rush. He completed 31 of 40 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, earning praise from both teammates and opponents.
Brady was erratic at times in his first game against his former team (22 of 43, 269 yards, no touchdowns, zero turnovers), and the Patriots' defense was stout in the red zone, holding the Bucs to one touchdown and four Ryan Succop field goals.
Succop's final kick proved to be the game-winner, however, as a 56-yard try by Nick Folk in the final minute clanged off the left upright.
"After the game, I got a chance to congratulate (Brady) on the win," Jones said. "He's a great quarterback, and yeah, he played well tonight."
Brady also met pregame with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and postgame with head coach Bill Belichick, with Belichick visiting the Buccaneers' locker room for more than 20 minutes after the loss. Brady would not reveal what the two discussed.
"We've had a lot of personal conversations that should remain that way," the former Patriots QB said. "They’re very private."
