The 65-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers come out of their bye week and will immediately be tested by yet another first-place team on their schedule. This time it's the 7-2 Patriots, who have used a six-game winning streak to slip ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East. Drake Maye has been a revelation in his second season for the Patriots but the Bucs are hoping Baker Mayfield revives his MVP candidacy after a week to rest and heal. To find out how to watch, listen and livestream the game, click here.
Several NFL analysts called the Patriots' visit to Raymond James Stadium the "Game of the Week," and there is genuine excitement around that Maye-Mayfield battle. One expected the Bucs' run defense to make New England's offense one-dimensional and thus make things more difficult for the Patriots' young passer. Those who sided with the Bucs often mentioned the team's improved roster health after the bye week and the importance of homefield advantage in a tight contest. Another noted that so far this season teams that are coming off a bye week are 6-0 against opponents that are not.
Dan Parr of NFL.com hesitated to pick against the home team in an evenly-matched contest but decided to make the YOLO choice, explaining it as such:
"The week off gave the Buccaneers a chance to rest. Yet, they are still far from full strength due to injuries, and Baker Mayfield was not playing his best prior to the break. Meanwhile, the Patriots have won six games in a row and are making history on both sides of the ball. Despite some up-and-down pass protection, Drake Maye has posted 200-plus pass yards and a passer rating of 100 or better in each of his last eight games, which is tied for the longest such streak within a season in NFL history. On defense, New England has not allowed a running back to reach 50 rush yards in a game, the longest streak to begin a season by any team in the Super Bowl era. I respect Tampa Bay's grit, but I'm not sure it has enough healthy firepower on offense to prevail in this one."
The Buccaneers are 2.5-point favorites at home and there is little consensus among the experts as to who will prevail. Here's what some of them are predicting will occur on Sunday afternoon in the Caesars Superdome:
NFL.com – In a battle of two-loss first-place teams, the Bucs get a 3-2 slight edge from five analysts
ESPN.com – An 11-person panel can't split down the middle, so the Bucs get the nod, 6-5
CBSSports.com – Pete Prisco foresees the Bucs snapping New England's six-game win streak
USA Today – It's an even split among six experts
Bleacher Report – Picking against the spread, five of seven analysts choose Tampa Bay
Pro Football Talk – As is often the case, Mike Florio goes with the Bucs, Chris Simms goes against them
Sports Illustrated – Continuing the theme, the Bucs tip the scales among seven experts, 4-3
Sporting News – Bill Bender has the Bucs edging the Patriots in the "Tom Brady Bowl"
