The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are wrapping up the final practice of the week before hosting the New England Patriots on Sunday. Even though it’s an AFC opponent, it’s an important game for the Bucs as they look to pick up where they left off before last week’s bye.

We’ve already discussed the top questions and storylines on offense and defense the Bucs need to answer if they want to win. So, naturally, that means it’s time for some final score predictions.

A to Z NFL’s Rob Gregson joins for me one last time as we both give our thoughts on how this Week 10 matchup ultimately plays out.

Let’s dive in.

Patriots 19, Bucs 17

I simply don’t know how effective the Bucs offense will be against a good Patriots defense. Even if Luke Goedeke returns, the interior offensive line has had some major issues lately and it faces a very stout duo in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Right now, there isn’t enough faith in this group to think it can have consistent success against the Patriots’ front.

We also don’t know if Baker Mayfield is going to get back to his old ways or keep up the inconsistent play we’ve seen over the last two games. Emeka Egbuka has yet to show he can carry the passing attack as WR1 and Rachaad White and the ground game will have its work cut out going up against the NFL’s No. 1 run defense.

I definitely have enough faith in the Bucs offense, especially if Kayshon Boutte doesn’t play. That will remove a dynamic element from the Patriots offense, but Todd Bowles and Co. still need to be on the look out for DeMario Douglas, who’s had some big moments this year. The run defense should be able to hold one of the NFL’s worst rushing attacks in check, too, but it also needs to be aware the Patriots don’t stop running the ball unless they’re down big. The Bucs have to respect that element as long as New England is in the game.

Finally, there’s coaching. There’s no question Josh McDaniels is a better offensive coordinator than Josh Grizzard, right now, and I think that’ll be the edge, honestly. McDaniels will scheme up just enough plays for Drake Maye to where the Patriots come out with an ugly road win that extends their win streak to seven games and their record to 8-2 while the Bucs fall to 6-3.

– Evan Winter, A to Z Tampa Bay

Patriots 25, Bucs 17

The margin for error in this game is just too much for the Bucs to overcome, in my opinion. We broke it all down in our matchup previews, but the Patriots seem to have the advantage on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Patriots will get in trouble if they turn the ball over or if Drake Maye faces too much pressure. That’s been his biggest issue this year. That is where the Bucs have a chance to thrive. Todd Bowles is going to have to dial up some exotics and bring pressure from every square inch of grass to create advantages.

As for the Bucs on offense, if Egbuka and Gonzalez even each other out, someone is going to have to step up and give Mayfield some help. The interior of the Pats’ defensive line poses a significant threat, and their tackling on the second and third levels will limit big time runs.

So in all, the Bucs certainly have their work cut out for them. You wish both teams were at full strength for this matchup but with too many missing parts in Tampa Bay, it’s hard to bet against one of the better teams in the AFC.

– Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports

Final Word

Well, it looks like the odds are stacked against the Bucs in this context (they’re hovering around 2.5-point favorites in most books), but this should be a close game. Regardless of who comes out on top.

One of the more intriguing aspects heading into this matchup is the Patriots’ schedule over the first nine weeks of the season. They’ve only beaten one team that folks would consider a consistently good team in the Buffalo Bills and in all, the opponents they’ve beaten have a combined record of 20-40 so far this year.

Even with the injuries and recent issues, the Bucs are considered to be a good team. Can the Patriots silence these doubters with a win? According to us, yes. But as we all know, nothing is set in stone until the clock is at zero on Sunday.

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Evan Winter