The New England Patriots' reunion with Tom Brady on Sunday night didn't end on a high note. With under a minute left in the fourth quarter, trailing by two, Nick Folk missed a go-ahead, 56-yard field goal, sealing a 19-17 win for Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Foxboro.
Following the game, Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones told reporters that the team doesn't accept moral victories -- "those are always forgotten." And former Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson believes that Jones' thoughts are shared by longtime head coach Bill Belichick.
"For the last 20 years and the seven I was in New England, there was no such thing as a moral victory. There was no such thing as, we were close enough," Watson told The Zach Gelb Show on Monday. "There were many times where we won games and we were demoralized because we didn't play up to our potential. The expectation in Foxboro is to win, no matter who you're playing against. That's what's made the organization one of excellence for so long.
"I think both sides have a sort of relief it's over. Now we can go on and play the rest of the season. We don't have this 'Return' looming over our heads. The stadium doesn't have to roll out the red carpet. The fans are able to relax again and get back to football. I think all parties are probably happy it's over."
The Patriots weren't forced to attempt a 56-yard field goal in the pouring rain. According to Next Gen Stats, their chances of converting on a 4th-and-3 from the 37-yard line (52-percent) were higher than making the kick (45-percent). On top of that, Jones was deserving of a shot to make a big-time play, as he completed 31 of 40 passes for a career-high 275 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Brady's first road game in Foxboro wasn't too smooth. The 44-year-old veteran completed just 51-percent of his passes (22 of 43) for 269 yards, and failed to throw a touchdown pass. Brady did, however, make history in the first quarter. A 28-yard completion to Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans made him the league's new all-time passing yards leader (80,358).
New England (1-3) will visit the Houston Texans (1-3) in a Week 5 matchup on Sunday, Oct. 10. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Patriots have just a 24-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 9-percent chance to win the AFC East.
The entire NFL conversation between Watson and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.