The New England Patriots lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night in heartbreaking fashion in Tom Brady's return to Gillette Stadium. It was a closer game than many expected, with Mac Jones keeping the Patriots close and almost pulling off the upset win over the seven-time Super Bowl champ. Brady obviously surpassed Drew Brees' all-time career passing yards mark during the game as well. New England has to swallow a tough pill as the narrow defeat leaves them at 1-3 on the season, two games behind the surging Buffalo Bills. Here are three Patriots takeaways from their Week 4 loss to the Buccaneers.

Patriots Week 4 takeaways

3. The Patriots are definitely better than their 1-3 record shows

This may not count for much if New England doesn't claw back toward a playoff spot over the final 13 games, but the Patriots are a few plays (and fumbles) from being 3-1. In Week 1, the Patriots lost to the Dolphins after fumbling inside the 10-yard line with a chance to take the lead in the final minutes. Sunday night, the Patriots lost another fumble just moments into the third quarter after forcing a three-and-out from Brady and the Bucs to start the second half. After getting the ball on the Tampa Bay 38-yard line, New England fumbled on the third play of the drive, effectively taking points right off the scoreboard.

Despite that, the Patriots still had a chance to win. But Nick Folk's 56-yard field goal attempt in the rain was not to be. So, New England is 1-3. The Patriots have games at the Houston Texans, vs. the Dallas Cowboys and at the New York Jets over the next three weeks.

2. Bill Belichick can still coach up a defense

The Patriots rank fifth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed defensively despite their 1-3 record. It's a unit that should keep them in most games, especially considering that Jones should only continue to become better and less turnover prone on the offensive side of the ball.

*Watch the NFL LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Article Continues Below
More New England Patriots News
Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Stefon Diggs’ future hinges on truth over boat party says Albert BreerJake Faigus ·
New England Patriots guard Cole Strange (69) defends against Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (93) at Allegiant Stadium.
Patriots rumors: Controversial 1st-Round pick on chopping block to be cutConor Roche ·
New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) watches from the sideline during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.
2-time Super Bowl champion retires after 10 seasons with PatriotsConor Roche ·
Sep 24, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
Falcons send fans into frenzy after immediately deleting ’28-3′ postMike Gianakos ·
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks the to media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel sounds off on viral Stefon Diggs boat videoBenedetto Vitale ·
Patriots news: Tom Brady's Super Bowl teammate makes Olympic flag football prediction
Tom Brady’s Super Bowl teammate makes Olympic flag football predictionChris Spiering ·

If the Patriots can get their offense to even league average efficiency, their defense should give them a chance to win almost every remaining game on the schedule.

1. Mac Jones is that guy

Jones nearly stole the show in Brady's homecoming. At one point, he completed 19 straight passes, matching Brady's Patriots record. For the night, he was 31-of-40 for 275 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He was visibly in command of the New England offense and made plays when when Tampa was blitzing the house over and over early in an effort to rattle him. Jones did make one mistake, but he did not rattle. He was the entire offense other than a 45-yard completion from Jakobi Meyers on a trick play. The Patriots had just eight rushing attempts for -1 yards for the game.

With no threat of the run, Jones was still able to make plays and give the Patriots a chance to win vs. Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions. The recipe of this game for New England is one they should follow the rest of the season (minus the whole not having a run game thing): play sound defense and let Jones cook. Jones is earning the trust of the coaching staff as well as the respect of defense, and he should unlock more of Josh McDaniels' playbook each week as he continues to evolve and learn the ins and outs of the NFL.

This season may not have started the way Patriots fans wanted it to, but don't write them off just yet. Even if this season ends up with more losses than wins for New England, the future is still promising when considering Jones should only improve and the fact that he will have top-tier coaching every step of the way.

The Patriots travel to Houston to face a struggling Texans team in Week 5.