Perhaps the most anticipated game of the season is less than a week away. Buccaneers vs Patriots. Since he left in March 2020, fans have been waiting for Tom Brady to return home to play his old team, the New England Patriots.
Now, we have seen other great athletes play against their former teams. We all thought it was weird when Michael Jordan played against the Bulls for the first time. This is different though.
This Buccaneers vs Patriots matchup will go down in the history books. These two teams are both coming off tough losses in Week 3. This will be a very emotional game on both sides, and I am here to break it down.
Buccaneers vs Patriots Preview
The Buccaneers vs Patriots series has been very one-sided over the last few years. They play every four years, and the Pats usually come out on top with Tom Brady on their side. Brady is on the other side now, and things look much different.
We all know how mad Tom Brady gets after a loss. The v Bucs lost this past week to the Los Angeles Rams 34-24. Brady looked great, as he threw for 432 yards and had two total touchdowns. Yet, this wasn’t enough to beat the high-powered Rams.
Things looked much different for the Patriots. They dropped a big game at home against the New Orleans Saints by a score of 28-13. With Trent Brown out this game, Mac Jones wasn’t able to get any time to throw the ball. Jones would end up throwing three interceptions, one of them being brought back for a touchdown.
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The Tale of the Tape
Let’s move on to how these teams have their sights set on each other. How do they match up against each other?
The Buccaneers are the reigning Super Bowl LV Champions and many people are expecting them to win it again. Tom Brady is the reason for that. Brady is having a great year so far, throwing for 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns. This credit can’t be given all to Brady, of course. The talent around him has been great.
It seems like every game, a different target has a great game. In Week 1, tight end Rob Gronkowski recorded eight catches for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It also helps when Brady has players like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown to throw to.
The defense doesn’t look as dominant as they were in the playoffs last season, but they are still doing their job. This week, they have to contain Mac Jones.
The Patriots are off to a rocky start, with a 1-2 record so far this season. There are multiple things you could blame this on. The number one thing though is bad offensive play calling.
Josh McDaniels has been the Patriots’ offensive coordinator for years now. It is now becoming clear that Tom Brady made him look good. His lack of aggressiveness and questionable run plays are becoming concerning, it is preventing the Pats from scoring when they need to.
Mac Jones has looked good in his first three career games. Thus far, he has thrown for 737 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. His accuracy is great. The problem is the blocking. Since tackle Trent Brown went down with an injury, it seems like Jones has no time to throw. That was on full display in the 28-13 loss to the Saints.
On the flip side, the defense looks great. J.C. Jackson is stepping into his role as cornerback #1 with the injury to Stephon Gilmore. Matt Judon has also been great, having six solo tackles and 3.5 sacks so far.
The Patriots are still a rebuilding team, so all the kinks won’t be worked out in a year. With time, this team will get better.
The Matchup
Buccaneers vs Patriots. Tom Brady vs Bill Belichick. The story writes itself. But who will come out on top?
Many believe that Tom Brady and the Bucs will destroy the Patriots. Me, not so much. If there is anyone who knows Tom Brady and the way he plays the best, it is Bill Belichick.
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