Tom Brady Makes Playful Self-Own In Patriots, Jerod Mayo Praise

Jerod Mayo led the Patriots to a shocking Week 1 upset win, and it was just as surprising as Tom Brady's debut as a broadcaster.

New England won 16-10 over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Later last Sunday, Brady received mixed reviews as a color analyst after all the hype around his next post-playing endeavor.

The Patriots' Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks was broadcast on FOX, which will have Brady in the booth for its coverage of the Dallas Cowboys-New Orleans Saints game. It's why Rob Gronkowski took time on the FOX pregame show to ask Brady's thoughts on their former teammate now head coach.

"I'm not surprised at all. I think Jerod has always shown himself to be a great leader," Brady said. "He was like a team captain from the time he walked into the door. He's got great leadership. He's got a lot of coaching that I like, too -- that Patriots style of coaching: discipline, accountability. I think that's still there. For them to go on the road to beat Cincy, we'll see how it goes this week. They got a big challenge. But I'm excited to see how Jerod does the rest of the season. It's tough to be a first-year coach. It's tough to be a first-year broadcaster."

That last self-own earned laughter on the FOX panel, and it showed Brady does seem self-aware enough to know that his debut wasn't as ideal as he might have wanted it to be. The Patriots Hall of Famer is known for his relentless work ethic, so there's a chance he could get better as the season goes along.

New England fans might get to see that if Brady is on the call for the Patriots' next FOX broadcast in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers.