The New England Patriots marched to Tampa and got the job done against the six-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defeating them 28 to 22. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, and the Buccaneers had a chance to make a comeback late in the game, but the Patriots’ defense held strong and Henderson called game with a game-sealing touchdown
Like previous weeks, the Patriots started off slow and allowed the Buccaneers to get out to an early lead. However, after the double-score before and after halftime, the Patriots built an 11-point lead, and the Buccaneers could never catch up.
Studs
With Kayshon Boutte inactive due to injury, the Patriots were going to need a receiver to step up, and rookie Kyle Williams did just that. In previous weeks, he’s gotten open on vertical routes but has yet to capitalize on his opportunities. However, as time expired in the first quarter, rookie Kyle Williams got right past his defender, and Drake Maye found him for the 72-yard touchdown.
The Washington State product hit a max speed of 21.8 mph on his touchdown catch, which is the fastest speed by a Patriot all season and the seventh-fastest top speed in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. (However, fellow rookie TreVeyon Henderson topped his speed on his touchdown — we’ll get to that later.) If Williams can continue to get open, the Patriots’ offense will only become more versatile.
It was the second straight week without Rhamondre Stevenson, which meant that Henderson had to step up. While the stat line won’t tell the whole story, Henderson broke free for the longest run of his career, scoring on a 55-yard touchdown run.
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Henderson finished with nine carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he stepped up big in pass protection, which had been a struggle for the rookie up to this point. The Buccaneers’ pass rush is no joke, and Henderson added value by helping keep the pocket clean for Drake Maye. With Terrell Jennings suffering a knee injury, Henderson will have a big workload to carry for the foreseeable future.
In the fourth quarter Henderson had another great touchdown which all but certainly ended the game. Henderson finished his best NFL outing with 147 rushing yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
This player can do it all. When Tonga signed as a free agent in the offseason, many thought he’d be a situational depth piece, but he’s been anything but that. The 338-pounder can play both gaps as a zero-technique, but he also adds value in the run game on offense. Mike Vrabel has utilized Tonga as a fullback on several occasions.
Tonga is having a career year and will be on his way to a well-deserved extension. In 2024, Tonga played in 13 games for the Cardinals and recorded 22 total tackles. He’s already up to 16 tackles so far this season.
WR Mack Hollins
Mack Hollins deserves all the credit. He’s coming off back-to-back great games. Today, he caught six passes for 106 yards. Maye targeted him nine times, including several critical third-down situations. However, Hollins’ impact can also be seen in the run game and it’s invaluable. He helped spring Henderson’s 55-yard run loose. The biggest play of the day for Hollins came on third down when he caught a 54-yard pass. Another great free-agent pickup.
Duds
It wasn’t the best game of the former Pro Bowler’s career. The Buccaneers’ passing offense, even without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, was still productive, largely due to the play of Emeka Egbuka, who had a huge day. He caught five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Egbuka was mostly lined up against Gonzalez. Yes, Gonzo had some great plays, but the standard for the cornerback is so high that he’ll want some plays back.
Run Defense
For weeks, the strongest part of the team has been the Patriots’ run defense, but that was not the case in Tampa. The Buccaneers’ lead running back, Bucky Irving, was inactive due to injury, but their offense still rushed for 113 yards. Leading the way were running backs Sean Tucker and Rachaad White, who ran for 91 yards on 19 attemps. At the second level especially, the Patriots weren’t at their best. Only by watching the film can you really start to answer why, but the team will definitely want to improve before facing Breece Hall on Thursday Night Football.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 19-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Ben.BelfordPeltzman@gmail.com with any inquires.
