I think your memory may be failing you. Outside of the 2009 McFumbles game, Brady didn't have many (if any) fourth quarter comebacks against us. They were total team methodical destructions with a few ugly defensive struggles thrown in. Two out of three games against the Brady Pats were thorough ass-kickings from start to finish. And besides the undefeated Randy Moss season, the Pats almost always beat our brains in with the running game and short passing/screen game. It wasn't Brady "dropping dimes" all over the field. It was the exact kind of offensive approach we are seeing from Mac Jones.
The "fear factor" is gone because for the first time in 20 years, we have a team that's as good as or better than the Patriots.