After their bye week, the 6-2 Bucs will return to the field on Sunday afternoon to host the 7-2 Patriots at Raymond James Stadium. In their return to action, they’ll be looking for just the third 7-2 start in franchise history and their first since 2002. It won’t be easy for Tampa Bay, as New England comes in undefeated on the road (4-0) and winners of six straight games.

This will be the Bucs’ first home game in nearly a month, as the last time they played in front of the Tampa Bay faithful was on Oct. 12 when they beat the 49ers to get to 5-1. Since then, Todd Bowles and Co. lost at Detroit and won in New Orleans to hit their bye week with the fifth 6-2 start in team history.

During their week off, the Bucs lost a half-game in the NFC South race, so they enter Week 10 with a 1.5-game lead on the second-place Panthers. However, Carolina’s win last week also resulted in Tampa Bay jumping up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. So, Sunday’s game against New England carries a lot of stakes for the four-time defending NFC South champions as they both look to extend their lead in the division and continue to threaten for the top seed in the NFC.

Sunday is the start of a difficult three-game stretch for the Bucs, too, as they will face the 7-2 Patriots, 6-2 Bills and 6-2 Rams over the next three weeks, with the Bills and Rams games coming on the road.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

As usual, there will be other storylines to follow in this NFC-AFC showdown, and that’s the reason we’re here right now. As we do every week here on PewterReport.com, it’s now time to take a look at what else is on the line during this week’s game. Of course, we’re talking about some of the records and milestones that some key Bucs are moving toward.

In Week 8, Lavonte David joined Hall of Famers Jason Taylor and Julius Peppers as the only players since 2000 to record 30+ forced fumbles and 20+ defensive fumble recoveries. Anthony Nelson also became the first player since Khalil Mack in 2018 to record a forced fumble, a sack and a pick-six in a single half, while Antoine Winfield Jr. became the 12th defensive back since TruMedia data is available dating back to 2000 to record 10+ forced fumbles and 10+ fumble recoveries. The 11 other players have all played 116+ career games, while Winfield just played his 76th.

Now, let’s see where things stand and what’s at stake heading into Sunday’s game between the NFC and AFC’s current No. 2 seeds.

Bucs Record Watch: Week 10 vs. Patriots

Baker Mayfield

With a Bucs win, Mayfield would have 26 as the team’s starting quarterback, which would tie Brad Johnson for the fifth-most in franchise history.

Mayfield is still in search of his 11th 300-yard passing game as a Buc, which would move him ahead of Doug Williams (10) for the fourth-most in franchise history.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield remains 8 rushing yards away from having the second-most of any season in his career. He would trail only his 2024 total of 378.

With 10 pass attempts, Mayfield will pass Steve DeBerg (1,414) for the eighth-most in team history.

Rachaad White

White is one touchdown away from passing Errict Rhett (25) for the fifth-most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in Buccaneer history.

White also needs only two more receiving touchdowns to tie Mike Alstott (13) for the most by a running back/fullback in franchise history.

Emeka Egbuka

Egbuka needs only 10 receiving yards to pass Tim Wright (571 in 2013) for the sixth-most by a rookie in team history. With 72 yards, he’ll pass Horace Copeland (633 in 1993) for the fifth-most.

Another receiving touchdown will tie Egbuka with O.J. Howard (six in 2017) for the sixth-most by a rookie in franchise history. Two more will tie him with Michael Clayton (2004) for the fifth-most in team history.

Cade Otton

Otton is 21 receiving yards away from passing O.J. Howard (1,737) for the sixth-most by a tight end in team history. With 89 yards, he’ll pass Dave Moore (1,805) for the fifth-most.

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today

Otton’s next receiving touchdown will move him ahead of Ron Hall (10) for the ninth-most by a Buccaneer tight end and tie him with Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most.

Vita Vea

Vea is a half-sack away from passing Jason Pierre-Paul and Brad Culpepper (33.0) for the ninth-most in franchise history. He needs 1.5 sacks to tie Chidi Ahanotu (34.5) for the eighth-most.

Sunday will be Vea’s 104th game, tying Hardy Nickerson for the 39th-most in Bucs history.

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is set for his 101st game as a Buc, tying him with Ian Beckles, Jeremy Trueblood and Ali Marpet for the 41st-most in team history.

Lavonte David

With two more tackles for loss, David will pass Aaron Donald (176) for the third-most since TruMedia Data is available dating back to 2008.

With one more takeaway, David will reach 35 for his career, which would put him in a group with Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as the only players with 40+ sacks and 35+ takeaways since at least 1982.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

David is one interception away from joining Ray Lewis, Charles Woodson and Brian Dawkins as the only players since 1994 with 15+ interceptions, 15+ forced fumbles and 15+ fumble recoveries in their careers. No. 54 would become just the 17th player all-time to reach those marks, joining those three players, Mike Merriweather, Steve Nelson, Carnell Lake, Reggie Williams, Joey Browner, Rod Woodson, Wes Hopkins, Bill Romanowski, Cris Dishman, Dennis Smith, Ronnie Lott, Wilber Marshall and Nesby Glasgow.

David remains five sacks away from passing former teammate Shaq Barrett (45.0) for the fifth-most in team history.

With two more passes defensed, David will pass another former teammate and someone who will be on the other sideline on Sunday, Carlton Davis III (73) for the fourth-most in franchise history.

Sunday will be David’s 207th game, leaving him 17 behind Derrick Brooks (224) for the second-most in Bucs history. It will also be his 207th start, leaving him 14 behind Brooks (221) for second-most.

Jamel Dean

Dean needs seven more passes defensed to pass Donnie Abraham (64) for the sixth-most in team history.

Dean is also one interception away from tying Dwight Smith, Jeris White and Mark Robinson (12) for the 13th-most in franchise history. He needs three more to tie Lavonte David (14) for the 12th-most.

Zyon McCollum

One more pass defensed will move McCollum ahead of Jermaine Phillips (30) for the 14th-most in Buccaneer history.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

Winfield remains one sack away from breaking a tie with Adam Archuleta, Bill Bates and Roman Harper for the 11th-most by a defensive back since 1982.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Winfield needs two more strip sacks to tie Quintin Mikell for the most by a defensive back since at least 2000.

Winfield is one forced fumble away from tying Jairus Byrd, Cedric Griffin, Chris Harris, Sammy Knight, Michael Lewis, Troy Polamalu and his father, Antoine Winfield Sr. (13) for the 16th-most by a defensive back since at least 2000. That forced fumble would also tie Winfield with Hardy Nickerson (13) for the seventh-most in Bucs history.

One more fumble recovery will move Winfield ahead of Lee Roy Selmon (10) for the fourth-most in Buccaneer history and tie him with Cecil Johnson and John Cannon (11) for the third-most.

With one more pass defensed, No. 31 will tie Dwight Smith (34) for the 12th-most in team history.

Winfield is 10.5 sacks away from passing Ronde Barber (28.0) for the most by a defensive back in franchise history and the second-most by any defensive back ever.

Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin needs nine more field goals to pass Ryan Succop (84) for the sixth-most in team history.

Todd Bowles

If the Bucs beat the Patriots on Sunday, Bowles would have a .567 win percentage as Tampa Bay’s head coach, which would be the second-best mark in franchise history. He would move ahead of Tony Dungy (.563) and sit behind only his predecessor, Bruce Arians (.633).