The New England Patriots nearly pulled off an upset against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Mac Jones and Bill Belichick lost to Tom Brady’s Bucs, 19-17, on Sunday night. It was the Patriots’ (1-3) second loss of the season by a margin of two points or fewer.
The Patriots are almost a winning team. New England has appeared to be on the cusp of developing into a good team, behind a rookie quarterback and a massive cast of free-agent signings from the offseason. But their progress didn’t cut it against Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions. Here’s a look at where the Patriots’ efforts went wrong.