The New England Patriots have exceeded anyone's expectations this season. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones has run an efficient offense which has played well off of the strong defense the Patriots have. Hmmm, sounds familiar. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel thinks so too, as he made an eye-opening comparison between Tom Brady and Mac Jones' Patriots.
Mike Vrabel sees similarities between 2021 Patriots and 2001 Patriots. https://t.co/7tp9hpKKPu
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 25, 2021
That is high praise coming from someone who saw firsthand what Tom Brady and that 2001 Patriots team was like, seeing as Mike Vrabel was on that team. Now, this current New England roster might not have quite as many big names as the 2001 version, though the formula looks eerily similar, particularly between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Mac Jones.
Both Brady and Jones were thought of as unathletic, system signal-callers who weren't as good as their counterparts in the draft. But Brady, and at least Jones so far, proved to be excellent fits with the Patriots. It's way too soon to anoint Jones as the next Brady, but it's also impossible to ignore the similarities.
It's not just the quarterbacks either. That Patriots team, as well as the team's subsequent dynasty teams had a strong defense, which included Mike Vrabel, as their backbone. They also rarely turned the ball over, something this Patriots team excels at, as they rank sixth in the NFL in turnover differential, per ESPN. Brady had just 12 interceptions that year for the Patriots, while Jones has just eight heading into Week 12 against the Vrabel-led Tennessee Titans.
Ready for another strange similarity Patriots fans? That 2001 team started 8-5, this current New England squad is 7-4. It remains to be seen how the rest of the year plays out, but if Mike Vrabel is right about the Patriots, Tom Brady and Mac Jones, then one thing is for sure.
New England fans could be very happy at the end of the year.
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