Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers Beat Patriots in B/R Madden Sim

It's been a rough offseason for New England Patriots fans.

Tuesday's Madden NFL 20 simulation on Bleacher Report's Twitch channel didn't help.

The virtual Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Patriots legends Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, went into virtual Gillette Stadium and emerged with a commanding 17-3 victory. The game came after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Patriots traded Gronkowski—who came out of retirement—and a seventh-round pick to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick Tuesday.

Quarterback play was fittingly the difference from the start.

Brady, who went 15-of-18 for 146 yards and one touchdown, fired a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin on Tampa Bay's first possession. The six-time Super Bowl winner and three-time league MVP was surgical while picking apart his former team's secondary, underscoring how many weapons he will have at his disposal during the 2020 campaign.

Jarrett Stidham, who was a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, was under center for the Patriots.

A potential quarterback battle between the youngster, veteran Brian Hoyer and perhaps someone New England drafts could be a major storyline for the Patriots this season, and Stidham is fortunate Tuesday's virtual performance cannot be held against him.

He fumbled on the Patriots' first possession, which set up a Dare Ogunbowale touchdown run, and then threw an interception on his second possession to set up a Tampa Bay field goal.

What's more, he missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone on the first possession of the second half while facing a 17-0 deficit, forcing his team to settle for a field goal despite nearly driving the length of the field.

The Buccaneers didn't even need to score in the second half, and their defense stood strong in the red zone to clinch the win. A fourth-down stop with less than a minute remaining sealed it for the visitors.

Tuesday's simulation could be a preview for 2021 if Brady and Gronkowski are still playing when the Buccaneers visit Gillette Stadium. New England fans surely hope that's not the case.