Bill Belichick and Tom Brady collectively ruled the NFL for two decades. Belichick and Brady won a record six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots before their widely publicized split in 2020. The biggest story throughout last season was whether Brady or Belichick would have the last laugh, and Brady was the clear winner after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl. The Patriots went on to miss the playoffs, and they are in danger of missing the postseason again with a 1-2 record ahead of this Sunday Night Football showdown.
Tom Brady will make his highly anticipated return when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, October 3, 2021, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
NFL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -7
New England Patriots +7
Total 49
There was a lot of buzz about New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones before the start of the 2021 season. Many were championing Jones as the future Rookie of the Year, but he has had the typical rookie struggles through his first three games. Jones is completing 67.5% of his passes for 6.1 YPA with two touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has been unable to stretch the field much in this offense. He doesn’t have a pass play longer than 32 yards, as he is checking down too often and isn’t taking the time to fully progress through his reads.
New England doesn’t have the best receivers to be fair. Jakobi Meyers is the leading receiver with 19 receptions for 176 yards, but the other two primary targets are Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor. Tight end Hunter Henry is a real red zone threat for as long as he can stay healthy though, and James White is one of the best receiving running backs in the league.
The ground game isn’t helping matters much as the Patriots are averaging 3.9 YPC between White and Damien Harris. They won’t be able to run on Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers have one of the best front sevens in the NFL. The Bucs are allowing 3.1 YPC (3rd in the NFL) and 63.7 YPG (4th in the NFL). This secondary hasn’t been good though, leading to opponents throwing for 338.3 YPG against this team. That ranks dead last.
Brady has thrived during his time in the Sunshine State. He turned it on to lead Tampa Bay to its second Super Bowl in team history last season, and he is having another fabulous year. The GOAT is completing 68.8% of his passes for 1,087 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady has a lot of weapons in the passing game, and a talented receiver like Antonio Brown being the fourth-best option speaks volumes.
It will also be the return to New England for Rob Gronkowski. The beloved tight end caught two touchdowns in each of Tampa Bay’s first two games, but he was shut out and banged up in last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans should both finish with over 1,000 yards this season if they can stay healthy, as the Buccaneers haven’t had much success running the ball.
New England has one of the top defenses through three games. The Patriots rank fifth in scoring defense (17.0 PPG) and fifth in total defense (282.3 YPG). Matt Judon has flourished in this scheme, and second-year player Josh Uche could shine too if he is able to return from injury.
Prediction
Brady will get the upper hand in this game, as Jones will fold against the pressure of an elite pass rush. It will be interesting to see how this crowd reacts to Brady and Gronk if they team up for a touchdown, and there will be plenty of additional props for this game.
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