The Patriots needed nearly all 60 minutes to pull out a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but contributions from their rookies helped deliver the victory with a trio of big scoring plays that proved to be the difference.
TreVeyon Henderson had touchdown runs of 55 and 69 yards while fellow rookie Kyle Williams scored his first career touchdown on a 72-yard catch-and-run. Quarterback Drake Maye threw two touchdowns on a day that the Tampa defense brought consistent pressure and forced a key interception of Maye late in the game that gave Baker Mayfield a chance to orchestrate a comeback.
But the Patriots defense stepped up in the clutch, getting a key last stop that set up Henderson's second score, while the special teams, led by Stefon Diggs, recovered the onside kick to seal the win.
It was a quality win against a quality opponent for the Patriots, who extended their win streak to eight games and now stand alone atop the AFC East. Here's how it went down!
1. Bucs Start Fast
The Patriots defense has made a habit of struggling in the first quarter, and that habit continued in this game, as Mayfield and the Bucs quickly scored the first touchdown of the game after receiving the opening kickoff. It took just six plays to go 65 yards, while a blown coverage allowed an easy score from 21 yards out to Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka also had a 24-yard catch and run earlier in the drive as the Bucs best wide receiver got off to a hot start and helped Tampa open an early 7-0 lead.
The Patriots offense couldn't respond on their first drive, needing to go for a 4th-and-1 from their own 43-yard line to avoid a three-and-out. Terrell Jennings got the fourth-down conversion, but the drive would go no further due to three-straight incompletions from Maye.
2. Pats Defense Stiffens, Offense Stays Stagnant
New England's defense stiffened on the Bucs second offensive drive, forcing their first punt of the game thanks to good coverage by Christian Gonzalez on third down. Jack Gibbens nearly made two game-changing plays before the punt, narrowly missing a sack on Mayfield and then having a second-down throw bounce off his hands that could've been intercepted.
Maye and the Patriots offense couldn't find their stride, however, as the second-year quarterback opened the game going 2-for-7 for 19 yards. TreVeyon Henderson converted a 3rd-and-10 on a nice toss play, but it was not enough to jumpstart the attack. The Patriots punted for a second time in two possessions, but their defense stayed stout, forcing a second-straight punt of their own.
3. Kyle Williams Explodes for First TD
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier this week that rookie Kyle Williams would have increased opportunities with Kayshon Boutte sidelined and it didn't take long for Williams to take advantage. Just as the first quarter was expiring, Maye hit Williams on a crossing route and the rookie turned upfield, turned on the jets, and pulled away for a 72-yard touchdown. Just like that the game was tied, despite the Patriots struggling to move the ball on their first two drives. The big plays have been a huge factor in New England's six-game win streak and this was a great example of how quickly they can level the playing field. It was the longest play for the Patriots in four seasons, and it made it 7-7 at the start of the second quarter.
4. Bucs Break the Tie
After their first drive of the game, Mayfield and the Bucs offense punted three-straight times, including back-to-back three-and-outs. But on their fifth drive, they regained their earlier mojo with Egbuka once again delivering a big play, this one a 31-yarder that gave him his third explosive play of the game.
But unlike the first drive, the Patriots defense would bend but not break, getting a stop at their own 18-yard line and forcing Tampa Bay to settle for a field goal that made it 10-7 about midway through the second quarter. It was a quality stop for a Patriots defense that entered the game ranked 32nd inside the red zone.
5. Maye, Pats Take the Lead Before Halftime
Maye and the Patriots offense responded to Tampa's second scoring drive with their best drive of the first half, stringing together a 78-yard touchdown drive that bled over seven minutes off of the game clock. It was a methodical drive, with Pop Douglas chipping in the biggest play, a 26-yard catch-and-run on a 3rd-and-7.
But it wasn't that easy once New England picked up their final first down at the Tampa Bay one-yard line. On first down, Maye purposely went down short of the end zone to continue to drain clock on the timeout-less Bucs. But after two more run stops on second and third down, it set up a critical final play of the first half. Vrabel stayed aggressive and the Pats went for it on 4th-and-goal from the one. This time, Maye dropped back and lobbed a pass to Stefon Diggs, who made an athletic grab, got both feet down and secured the catch for the score.
That made it 14-10 Patriots at halftime, as New England's solid execution around halftime continued to be a positive trend. It was Diggs' third touchdown of the year and capped off an excellent first half for the vet with five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.
6. Henderson Explodes For TD
It didn't take long into the second half for the Patriots to extend their lead, just two plays in fact. The first a 10-yard pass to Mack Hollins and then, a handoff to rookie TreVeyon Henderson, who exploded through the hole and took it to the house for a 55-yard touchdown. Henderson's explosiveness had been somewhat contained in the first half of the season, but with increased opportunities in recent weeks, he's started to find some space. The score extended New England's lead to 21-10 barely one minute into the third quarter.
7. Bucs Offense Returns to Life
The Bucs offense had scored just a field goal since their game-opening touchdown drive, but on their second possession of the second half they returned to their early form. A 22-yard pass interference penalty on Christian Gonzalez helped move things along.
Otherwise, it was Tampa's best sustained drive of the game to that point, lasting 11 plays and travelling 92 yards with a nice combination of passes and runs. Mayfield's 10-yard touchdown pass to Tez Johnson took advantage of extended time in the pocket, as the Bucs quarterback did what he does best, extend plays and make throws late in the down.
A failed two-point conversion kept the score at 21-16 late in the third quarter, but it was a needed drive for the Bucs, who were close to falling into a three-score deficit before forcing New England's first three-and-out of the day, then executing the long touchdown drive.
8. Back and Forth in the Third
The Patriots offense gave the ball back to Tampa Bay on downs on their next possession, with the Bucs taking over at their own 42-yard line as Vrabel continued to be aggressive with his offense. Injuries also began to add up for New England, with Terrell Jennings leaving the game early on and Henderson getting banged up late in the third quarter. That briefly left New England with only D'Ernest Johnson at running back, who was just signed to the practice squad two weeks ago, but Henderson would return to the game.
Even with poor field position, the Patriots defense stepped up, getting a stop at their 40-yard line and keeping points off the board. But for the second time in the game, Maye and the offense went three-and-out, giving the ball back to Mayfield as the back-and-forth continued into the fourth quarter.
9. Bombs Away to Hollins, Maye Picked
The Patriots offense was stagnant for much of the second half after their opening drive touchdown in the third quarter and it looked like they were about to give the ball back to Tampa for a fourth time when they came up against a 3rd-and-14 in the fourth quarter. But Maye stood tall in the pocket and delivered another picture perfect bomb pass, this time to Mack Hollins for 56 yards.
It looked like the Patriots were about to seal the game but Tampa's defense didn't flinch and on 3rd-and-goal Maye tried to force a throw into the end zone but it was picked off. It was the first turnover of the game and it came at a critical time, giving Mayfield a chance to lead a comeback victory, down by five points with just five minutes left to play.
10. Patriots Defense Gets Key Stop, Henderon Seals It
The Bucs wouldn't take long to get moving, picking up a gain of 16 yards on a pass to Cade Otton and then 18 yards on a carry by Sean Tucker to get them inside Patriots territory.
They stood at New England's 34-yard line at the two-minute warning. Rookie Craig Woodson delivered a big hit on Otton on 3rd-and-3, setting up a fourth down. That's when the Pats pass rush came through, with K'Lavon Chaisson leading the charge and wrapping up Mayfield to close out the Bucs possession.
It looked like the Bucs might get another crack at it if New England couldn't get a first down, but that's when Henderson bounced a run outside and took off up the sideline, going 69 yards for his second touchdown of the game.
Still, Tampa added another late touchdown to make things interesting, setting up a final onsides kick
11. The Patriots are now 8-2
With the win, the Patriots move to 8-2 on the season and extend their winning streak to seven straight games after starting the season 1-2. New England also remains undefeated on the road in 2025 (5-0), while also extending their lead in the division thanks to a Bills loss to the Dolphins.
It wasn't a flawless win, as Maye and the Pats had the chance to close things out earlier in the game. But as a young team still finding their way, they're also finding ways to win games even when late mistakes, like Maye's interception, put them in a bad spot.
The growing contributions from the rookies in the absence of Rhamondre Stevenson and Kayhson Boutte bode well for the team's future as they close in on the final seven games of the regular season.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Pats with the Jets up next on Thursday Night Football. New England will also be wearing their new Rivalries uniform against New York, the only time this season the Patriots will break out the "Nor'easters." After back-to-back four-win seasons Thursday night will also be a chance to cement New England's first winning record since the 2021 season.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
