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BUCCANEERS vs. PATRIOTS

WHEN: Sunday, November 9, 2025 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Jim Nantz | ANALYST: Tony Romo | SIDELINE: Tracy Wolfson

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Win It In The End, Improve To 7-2

Both the Bucs and the Patriots have good kickers, but Chase McLaughlin has mastered kicking at Raymond James Stadium and wins it for Tampa Bay with a walk-off field goal at the end. This will be a close, hard-fought battle between two teams that only have two losses. The upstart Patriots are this year’s version of last year’s Washington Commanders team. A veteran defensive-minded head coach in Mike Vrabel has instilled toughness and belief into a young Patriots team that is coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons.

Patriots HC Mike Vrabel and QB Drake Maye – Photo by: USA Today

I expect Baker Mayfield and the offense to get a lift with the return of right tackle Luke Goedeke from a foot injury. Will that be enough to get Tampa Bay’s ground game going against the league’s toughest run defense? I’m not sure, but I’m hopeful. If Rachaad White and Sean Tucker can run for at least 80 yards I think that will provide enough balance on the offense – as long as Mayfield is sharp and rookies Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson show up big on Sunday. Johnson versus Carlton Davis III could be the biggest matchup of the game.

Defensively, Todd Bowles must pressure Drake Maye and rattle him. Maye is the second-most sacked QB in the league at 3.8 per game, while Bowles’ defense has averaged five sacks per game over the last three games, in addition to two takeaways per game over the last six games. If Tampa Bay’s defense can play as hard as it played in New Orleans that will help a Bucs offense that is trying to get back to prolific status after the bye week. It’s close, but it’s a win – and it should be a very entertaining game.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Patriots 21
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 6-2

Matt Matera: Bucs Overcome Patriots In A Slugfest

This game looks like it “could” be one where we get a quarterback duel between Baker Mayfield of the Bucs and Drake Maye of the Patriots. But injuries to each side and recent performances give me the feeling this is going to be a grind it out type of contest with the defense leading the way for the winner.

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

Coming off of the bye, the Bucs will be fresh and ready to go. The Patriots have struggled in pass protection, and this is a great opportunity for Tampa Bay to create chaos all afternoon. It might be a blitzing Antoine Winfield Jr. or Tykee Smith, or it could come from up front. I like the chances of the Bucs getting to Maye, especially if he can’t go deep because of the play of Jamel Dean and Tampa Bay’s overall secondary.

It’s going to be a struggle for the Bucs’ offense, too. Having Luke Goedeke back is an enormous help for Baker Mayfield. Someone will need to step up besides Emeka Egbuka as the Patriots will put a ton of coverage on him. Maybe it’s time for a big Cade Otton game or Tez Johnson continues his progression as a receiver. With a healthier Baker Mayfield, he finds a way to will his team to victory like we’ve seen all season.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Patriots 19
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 6-2

Adam Slivon: Bucs Give The Upstart Patriots A Reality Check

The Bucs have not had it easy through the first half of the season, and it does not get any easier to begin the second stretch. After fighting through injuries to get out to a 6-2 record, Tampa Bay comes off the bye week only to see a 7-2 Patriots squad. After struggling in the post-Tom Brady era, New England once again looks like a playoff contender under the guidance of head coach Mike Vrabel and with the emergence of second-year quarterback Drake Maye. With Vrabel at the helm, the former Patriots linebacker has brought toughness and leadership to a squad that has surpassed all expectations.

Patriots LT Will Campbell and HC Mike Vrabel – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs will be challenged by a well-balanced Patriots team, which has the seventh-best scoring offense while allowing the sixth-fewest points per game defensively. Tampa Bay has experienced some ups and downs in recent weeks, with a deflating 24-9 loss to the Lions followed by a 23-3 win over the Saints. Coming out and making a statement on Sunday will mean getting back on track offensively.

After an MVP frontrunner start to the season, Baker Mayfield has cooled off, with injuries to multiple offensive players making it even more difficult to score points. Even still, Josh Grizzard has had time to gameplan with his available personnel and needs to make the most of it. Defensively, the unit has come along, but Maye is a tough draw as he has played at an MVP level himself.

What works in the home team’s favor is the fact that New England’s run game has mostly struggled. Shutting them down means the secondary has to lock up Maye’s set of weapons, which is not as far-fetched as it once seemed with how they have played as of late. Ultimately, I predict the Bucs pull off a convincing, albeit close win. The Patriots have had some favorable opponents in recent weeks, but being on the road against Tampa Bay will be a wake-up call for the upstart squad.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Patriots 24
SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 6-2

Bailey Adams: Bucs Defense Leads The Way To Another Win

This has turned into quite the matchup, and I’ve developed a bad feeling about it from a Bucs perspective. Perhaps it’s the lingering concerns from what we’ve seen in recent weeks from Baker Mayfield and the offense combined with the strength of the Patriots defense. Or maybe it’s the fact that the injury news coming out of the bye week wasn’t quite what Tampa Bay would’ve hoped it would be, as Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving and Haason Reddick have all been unable to return to practice.

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about this game. But I’m choosing to ignore that feeling and picking the Bucs to win anyway. The Patriots are off to a fantastic start at 7-2 and I don’t want to take anything away from the job they’ve done thus far, but their schedule should be taken into account when you look at the bigger picture. They’ve had it easy, and I’d like to think Tampa Bay can snap them back to reality a bit come Sunday. It’s been a month since the Pats have played a team with a winning record, and I still think the Bucs are the better team.

I think the New England defense may keep Mayfield and the offense largely in check, but I’m picking the Bucs because I’m trusting this Todd Bowles defense to handle Drake Maye and keep this a lower-scoring affair. I can see Bowles dialing up a lot of pressure and throwing Maye off his game to keep the visiting team under 20 points. And I think the offense does enough to earn a hard-fought, post-bye win ahead of a tough two-game road swing.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Patriots 17
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 7-1

Josh Queipo: Bucs Win In Impressive Fashion

With the advantage of a week off to heal up and self-scout, the Bucs will be at their best since perhaps the first game of the season. The biggest factor in their improvement will be Baker Mayfield’s oblique feeling better. Mayfield has been the engine that has fueled a surprisingly – considering the injuries – potent offense that stagnated as he tried to gut through the midsection ailment. With Baker feeling better, the offense will be able to take advantage of the intermediate level of the field and put up points again.

Patriots HC Mike Vrabel and OLB Harold Landry III – Photo by: USA Today

On defense the Bucs are hitting their stride after an impressive win in New Orleans. The secondary is playing better than any other back-end unit in football and the pass rush is getting home at league-high rates. They will trade blows with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye who will hit a couple of explosives while also taking his fair share of sacks. But ultimately the Bucs defensive playmakers will outmatch their Patriots’ offensive counterparts.

New England is one of the bigger surprises this year and they play assignment-sound football, but the Bucs still hold the talent advantage and have been well-coached this year as well. That pairing will lead the Bucs to a two-score lead.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 31, Patriots 20
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 7-1