Tom Brady Sr.: 'We expect to beat the Patriots rather handily'

When the NFL released the schedule on Wednesday night, the biggest matchup of the year was revealed to happen in Week 4 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots. This game will mark the first time Tom Brady has played against Bill Belichick and the Patriots since signing with Tampa Bay in 2020 and then winning the Super Bowl last season.

Although the Brady family will always remember New England for the six Super Bowl championships won, it’s clear they will be rooting for the Buccaneers come Oct. 3. Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., is so pumped up about the matchup that he called into the Zolak and Bertrand show on 98.5 The Sports Hub to express his excitement and also talk a little trash.

“Coming back home to Boston, it’s our second home here. The Patriots are our second favorite team,” Brady Sr. said. “It’s a game where we get to root against nobody. We get to root for the Patriots, but our most favorite team, of course, is the Buccaneers, so we expect to beat the Patriots rather handily, frankly.”

Brady's first away game inside Gillette Stadium will undoubtedly be a spectacle. The Patriots went 7-9 in their first season without Brady as the starter. Meanwhile, Brady added another Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers. On top of that, Rob Gronkowski will also be returning for his first game against the Patriots after coming out of retirement and requesting a trade to Tampa Bay. It'll be interesting to see who's at quarterback for the Patriots with Cam Newton or Mac Jones.

On Thursday, Brady tweeted about the Patriots matchup, saying “It’s like when your high school friends meet your college friends.”

The quarterback might be playing it diplomatic, but his father certainly isn’t.

“I saw the schedule come out last night and I started salivating when I saw that we’re playing the Patriots in the fourth game of the season, and we’re coming up here to make our record 4-0 after the fourth game,” Brady Sr. said. “It’s a pretty fun time.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Tom Brady Sr. expects Buccaneers will beat Patriots in NFL Week 4