New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, November 9th, 1:00 PM ET
I say this very carefully - could this be a sneak peek of the Super Bowl this year…?
Two of the more fun teams of the season square off in Tampa Bay this week, as the red-hot Patriots are in Tampa to face the Buccaneers. The Pats are now winners of six in a row and are 7-2 on the season, and the Buccaneers are a strong 6-2 and distancing themselves in the NFC South yet again.
What we have on display in this matchup in Week 10 are two of the best, most efficient QBs in the NFL this year. Both Baker Mayfield and Drake Maye are playing their tails off, but the Pats are actually the more complete team here. They’re balanced on both sides of the ball.
I will say that the Patriots are overperforming a bit, as the roster talent is good, but it’s not there yet. Tampa does have the better roster here and might have an advantage here since this game is at home.
New England looks to keep their six-game winning streak alive, and a win over an NFC juggernaut would do a lot in our belief in this team. Many have criticized the Patriots for only beating up on bad teams this year, but they cannot control who they play.
I would expect the Patriots keep this game close, as head coach Mike Vrabel is a master at getting the most out of his players, but I just think the Buccaneers are going to play a complete game and will notch a late score to take a lead and not let it go.
The Buccaneers win this one by two points in yet another dramatic finish here in the 2025 NFL Season. The Patriots drop to 7-3 and could see their AFC East lead slowly disappear. Moreover, if the Colts and Broncos each win in Week 10 and the Pats lose, New England is going to drop in the overall AFC standings as well.