On paper, the ninth game on the schedule for the Tampa Bay Bucs didn’t appear particularly worrisome prior to the season. The New England Patriots, who come to town for a 1 p.m. Sunday clash at Raymond James Stadium, finished 4-13 in both 2023 and 2024 and hadn’t enjoyed a winning season in four years.
But forget the Pats on paper – the live, in-person version of the team looks much more like the Brady-Belichick edition than the 4-26 stumblebums they had been. That’s a tribute to first-year head coach Mike Vrable, a hard-nosed linebacker for 14 NFL seasons, including eight with New England and head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023.
Along the way, the former All-Pro collected three Super Bowl championship rings as a player and earned Coach of the Year honors with the Titans. He has instilled a new, winning attitude on the Patriots that has helped fuel a six-game winning streak and a 7-2 record to lead the AFC East.
Vrable, of course, isn’t the only reason behind New England’s resurgence. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye, selected as the third overall pick in 2024, leads the NFL in passer rating (116.9) and completion percentage (74.1), while also posting the fifth-highest running total for a quarterback (270 yards).
Maye directs a varied attack – impressively, eight different players have 13 or more catches, led by wideouts Stephon Diggs (42 receptions for 508 yards and a touchdown) and Kayshon Boutte (29 catches, 368 yards and five scores), and tight end Hunter Henry (29-368-4).
"First of all, Drake as a person – I love (him), really good guy,” said his counterpart, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. “But, just how he is playing, efficient. I think the down-the-field passing is something that he was really good at in college, and it is translating now. You can just tell he’s getting comfortable. [The] game is slowing down for him, he’s athletic – although he’s a big guy – he can take off and run. He is using all the attributes that he has."
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles, whose team leads the NFC South at 6-2, concurs. “(He has) great legs – he really has a knack for finding the hole to run in,” Bowles said. “At the same time, (he has) great touch on the ball, great arm strength, a great feel for the game – understanding where his guys are. I think (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) has done a great job getting him ready to play and understanding how he has to play.”
Bucs linebacker Anthony Nelson, coming off NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors against New Orleans, is wary of Maye as well. Haasan Reddick has been ruled out for the game, with a knee and ankle injury, meaning Nelson will got a chance to to slow Maye down.
“He is special with his legs, [and] he can pick you apart with his arm,” Nelson said. “They are a good offense, and he just gives you a lot of different things to worry about, which really requires us to be on our job, all 11, every play."
Yet offense hasn’t been the only story for New England. The defense, mirroring the old hard-nose playing style of its head coach, has been particularly tough against the run this season. In fact, the unit has yielded a league-low 75.4 yards per game, bolstered by the free-agent acquisitions of linemen Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, and the addition of ex-Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane.
“(It) starts up front,” Mayfield said. “Between (Christian) Barmore and Milton Williams, two really good interior defensive line players. From there, their defensive backs are making a lot of plays. They had some changes, a couple guys traded off, but (their) defensive backs are playing aggressive because that front is getting some pass rush."
Linebacker Robert Spillane in action against the Browns. @ Brian FluhartyMayfield has high praise for Spillane as well. "(He’s a) tackling machine. (He) seems to always be around the ball. That is his study habits or just knowing the game and schemes; he does a really good job at that recognition of certain plays, and just flying until the echo of the whistle."
Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard says New England’s defense poses multiple challenges – flowing from the culture Vrable has instilled.
“I think it starts with the coaching staff and what Coach Vrabel is able to do there in terms of setting up his standard and the way these guys play,” Grizzard said. “You can see it on tape all the way back from his time in Tennessee – these guys are very disciplined, they play very hard, they do a good job of turnovers.”
Offensively, injuries still cloud the picture for the Bucs. Neither starting tailback Bucky Irving (foot and shoulder) nor veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) will play on Sunday – each were ruled out of action Friday by Bowles. That means the primary rushing duties will remain in the hands of Rachaad White (77 carries for 287 yards and four touchdowns) and Sean Tucker (23 for 76 and two TDs).
There's potential good news on the offensive line: guard Luke Goedeke, out since Week 2 with a foot injury, is listed as questionable and could see action; and guard Luke Haggard (shoulder) is also questionable but could return to action.
"(Goedeke) is definitely a tone-settker with the way he prepares and the way he practices," said Grizzard. "Anytime you can get someone back – no matter what position it is – in terms of a starter, it's always going to elevate you with the communication levels with those guys."
Though the passing game no longer has All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans, out for the season with a broken collarbone, and Godwin remains a question mark, the play of rookies Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson and tight end Cade Otton has been a bright spot. Defenses have started double-covering Egbuka, but Grizzard feels the No. 1 pick can handle it.
“That's something he'll have to adjust to based on those guys being out … It’s something he's prepared for as well, because that's the way he conducts his business,” Grizzard said. “And he knows, ‘Okay, if I'm not getting this because I'm getting doubled, then it's opening up Tez or Cade or whoever it might be.’ So that's mainly on us to try to find ways to get him the ball.”
In what areas would Grizzard like to see improvement in the second half?
“Whether it's the run game, the pass game, situationally on third down, red area – all those places have areas for improvement,” he said. “We have looked at, in terms of the run game, creating more (explosiveness) in terms of our fundamentals and techniques (on) runs that could be four to five yards that should be 12 yards, but one position group is off. Collectively, that's not good enough. ... But then outside of that (we’re looking at) what are we doing on third down? What are we doing in the red (zone) to try to improve some of those as well?”
They’ll get at least some of those answers on Sunday – a game that may once have looked like a gimme on paper but now is anything but.