{"id":63293,"date":"2025-11-07T04:30:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T09:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=63293"},"modified":"2025-11-07T09:34:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:34:13","slug":"morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/","title":{"rendered":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?\u00a0 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a legitimate contender in the NFC.\u00a0 The Bucs come into the game with two big advantages. They are playing at home in warm and humid conditions which they are use to and New England traditionally doesn\u2019t play well in Florida\u2019s heat and humidity.\u00a0 The second big advantage is that they are coming off a BYE and have been able to rest up, prepare for two weeks, and heal up some of their walking wounded.\u00a0 So far in 2025, teams are 10-4 coming off their bye week.\u00a0 The Bucs are one of the worst teams in the Red Zone, scoring a TD in only 50% of their chances.<\/p>\n

Offense 3 WR 1TE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QB<\/td>\nBaker Mayfield<\/td>\nTeddy Bridgewater<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RB<\/td>\nBucky Irving Q<\/td>\nRachaad White<\/td>\nSean Tucker<\/td>\nJosh Williams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nEmeka Egbuka<\/td>\nSterling Shepard<\/td>\nJalen McMillan IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nChris Godwin Q<\/td>\nRyan Miller<\/td>\nMike Evans IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nTez Johnson<\/td>\nKameron Johnson<\/td>\nJaden\u00a0Smith IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TE<\/td>\nCade Otton<\/td>\nPayne Durham<\/td>\nDevin Culp<\/td>\nKo Kieft IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LT<\/td>\nTristan Wirfs<\/td>\nGraham Barton<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LG<\/td>\nBen Bredeson<\/td>\nElijah Klein<\/td>\nDan Feeney<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\nGraham Barton<\/td>\nBen Bredeson<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RG<\/td>\nLuke Haggard\u00a0Q<\/td>\nElijah Klein<\/td>\nMike\u00a0Jordan<\/td>\nCody Mauch\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RT<\/td>\nCharlie Heck<\/td>\nBen\u00a0Chukwuma<\/td>\nLuke Goedeke\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Led by Baker Mayfield at Quarterback, the Bucs have shot out to a 6-2 record.\u00a0 Offensively, they are mediocre with a ranking of 17th <\/sup>in the league with 323 yards per game.\u00a0 The passing game is slightly above average with a 13th<\/sup> rank and 224.9 yards per game.\u00a0 Rushing, they are 24th<\/sup> at 98.1 yards per game.\u00a0 In the Spin Zone QB rankings, he is 10th, and the ESPN QBR is 15th.<\/p>\n

Mayfield has completed 172 passes on 269 attempts for 1,919 yards, 63.9 Comp%, a 7.1 average, 13 TDs, 2 INT, and has been sacked just 17 times.\u00a0 He has also ran 22 times for 153 yards and a 7.2 YPC.\u00a0 This, despite the rash of injuries the Bucs have sustained.\u00a0 Bucky Irving has played just 4 games; Mike Evans is on IR and is out with a broken collarbone until week 14 at the earliest, December 7th<\/sup>.\u00a0 \u00a0Chris Godwin has been slow to recover from off-season ankle surgery and has played in just 2 games.\u00a0 Irving, Godwi,n and Hassan Reddick are still listed as Questionable, and all three Did Not Participate in Wednesday or Thursday\u2019s practices.<\/p>\n

Rookie Emeka Egbuka has benefited from just being around savvy veterans like Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.\u00a0 He has been like a sponge soaking up the knowledge the Vets are sharing with him.\u00a0 The talented receiver is leading the TB receivers in receptions with 34 on 63 targets, 562 yards, 16.5 YPC, and 5 TDs.\u00a0 Egbuka was Tampa Bay\u2019s 1st<\/sup> round selection this year (19).\u00a0 At Ohio State, he was 2nd<\/sup> Team All-Big 10, 2x Third Team All-Big 10, and a national Champion.\u00a0 Veteran Sterling Shepard is 32 and entering his 10th<\/sup> year in the league.\u00a0 The Oklahoma product stand 5\u201910\u201d 194-pounds and was drafted by the NY Giants in 2016 2nd<\/sup> round (40).\u00a0 Shepard is 2nd<\/sup> with 27 catches on 36 targets, 275, 10.2 YPC, and 1 TD.\u00a0 \u00a0Tez Johnson has emerged as the #3 receiver. \u00a0The 5\u201910\u201d, 165-pound receiver was quite the find by the Bucs taking him in this year\u2019s draft 7th<\/sup> round (235).\u00a0 He played at Troy and Oregon.<\/p>\n

With Bucky Irving going down with a foot strain and a shoulder injury, Tampa Bay\u2019s running game has gone down with him.\u00a0 Irving is a terrific back out of Oregon.\u00a0 He is a 5\u201910\u201d 195-pound back and just 23 years old.\u00a0 He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 4th<\/sup> round (125) of the 2024 Draft and was 2nd<\/sup> team All-PAC 10.\u00a0 As a rookie last season, he played in 17 games and started 3 of those.\u00a0 Over the course of the season, after increasing his workload and taking over for Rachaad White, he had 207 attempts for 1,122 yards, 5.2 YPC, and 8 TDs.\u00a0 Out of the backfield, he was also a threat with 58 catches and 392 yards, 8.3 YPC, and no TDs.<\/p>\n

Rachaad White is not the answer.\u00a0 \u00a0The 6\u2019, 214-pound back out of Arizona State was selected in the 2022 draft by Tampa Bay in the 3rd<\/sup> round (91).\u00a0 He lost the starting job last year after having rushed for 990 yards the previous season.\u00a0 So far this year, he rushed 77 times for 237 yards, a 3.7 YPC, and 4 TDs.\u00a0 The Patriots are the #1 defense against the run this year, not having allowed a single runner 50 yards in a game this year.\u00a0 There is no reason that shouldn\u2019t continue and make the Bucs a one-dimensional team.<\/p>\n

Sean Tucker is the primary backup.\u00a0 The Syracuse product went undrafted in 2023.\u00a0 The 5’10\u201d, 205-pound back was a Unanimous All-American, 1st<\/sup> team ALL-ACC, and also a 2nd<\/sup> team All-ACC selection.\u00a0 For the season, he has rushed 23 times for 76 yards and a 3,3 YPC with 2 TDs.<\/p>\n

Tight End Cade Otton is a threat, especially given how badly the Patriots have covered TEs.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d 247-pound TE out of Washington was TB 4th<\/sup> round (106) selection in the 2022 draft.\u00a0 For the season, he is third on the team with 26 receptions on 36 targets for 271 yards, 10.4 YPC, and without a TD.\u00a0 Tampa Bay is one of the worst teams in scoring TDs in the Red Zone (50%).\u00a0 Backups Payne Durham and Devin Culp don\u2019t have any catches listed.<\/p>\n

The Offensive line is a problem for the Bucs.\u00a0 Tristan Wirfs is a standout Left Tackle.\u00a0 Entering his 6th<\/sup> season, Wirfs had his worst game of the year two weeks ago versus New Orleans.\u00a0 This should be a good matchup between Wirths and K\u2019Lavon Chaisson.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d, 312-pound Tackle was selected 2x 1st team All-Pro, 2nd team All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowl, and was a Super Bowl Champion.\u00a0 He was drafted by Tampa Bay with their 1st<\/sup> pick (13) in 2020 out of Iowa.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 78.8 good for 13th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 0 sacks, 0 QB Hits, 28 Hurries, and 10 Pressures.<\/p>\n

LG Ben Bredeson is the weak link on the line. The 6\u20195\u201d, 315-pound Guard played at Michigan and was drafted in 2020 in the 4th<\/sup> round (143) by Baltimore.\u00a0 His PFF grade is very low, 49.8, good for 98th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 1 sack, 0 QB Hits, 16 Hurries, and 17 Pressures.<\/p>\n

Graham Barton is the Center. The North Carolina product was drafted as a Guard.\u00a0 The 6\u20195z\u2019. 314-pound lineman was drafted by Tampa Bay with their 1st<\/sup> round selection (26) in the 2024 Draft.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 53.2, 34 out of 34 Centers.\u00a0 Right Guard is Luke Haggard, an UDFA out of Indiana.\u00a0 The 6\u20197\u201d, 291-pound Guard is tall and a little light for the position.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 51.8 is 90th<\/sup> for guards.\u00a0 For the season, he has given up 0 sacks, 0 QB Hits, 3 Hurries, and 3 Pressures in the four games he has played.<\/p>\n

Charlie Heck is currently listed as the starter, pending Luke Goedeke\u2019s availability.\u00a0 The 6\u20198\u201d, 311-pound Tackle was a 2020 4th<\/sup> round (126) selection out of North Carolina by Houston.\u00a0 His PFF grade in the 6 games he has played in Goedeke\u2019s absence is an anemic 45.5.\u00a0 That is ranked 70th<\/sup> of 75 tackles.<\/p>\n

Luke Goedeke has started his 21-day workout period, coming back from IR.\u00a0 He has not officially been activated, but was a full participant on Wednesday.\u00a0 The 6\u20195,\u201d 312-pound Tackle out of Central Michigan was a 2022 selection by Tampa Bay in the 2nd<\/sup> round (37).\u00a0 Follow his progress this week to determine if he will play.\u00a0 If he is able to go, that will be a big bump for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs Offense.\u00a0 The Patriots’ interior D linemen should have a field day against the Bucs Center and Guards.\u00a0 Look for Milt Williams and Christian Barmore to have big games,<\/p>\n

Defense 3-4<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Tampa Bay defense is not highly ranked, but they are dangerous.\u00a0 They are ranked tied for 5th<\/sup> with 12 takeaways.\u00a0 They are also ranked 5th<\/sup> in EPA per play at -0.08.\u00a0 Overall, they are 17th, giving up 323 yards a game, 13th in passing yards allowed per game with 224.9, and in Run Defense, they are 24th, giving up 98.1 per game.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LDE<\/td>\nElijah Roberts<\/td>\nC.J. Brewer<\/td>\nCalijah Kancey\u00a0IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NT<\/td>\nVita Vea<\/td>\nElijah Simmons<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RDE<\/td>\nLogan\u00a0Hall<\/td>\nGreg Gaines<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WLB<\/td>\nYaya Diaby<\/td>\nChris Braswell<\/td>\nDavid\u00a0Walker IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LILB<\/td>\nSirVocea Dennis<\/td>\nJohn Bullock<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RILB<\/td>\nLavonte David<\/td>\nDeion\u00a0Jones<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SLB<\/td>\nHaason Reddick\u00a0Q<\/td>\nAnthony Nelson<\/td>\nMarkees Watts<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LCB<\/td>\nJamel Dean<\/td>\nBenjamin \u00a0Morrison<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SS<\/td>\nAntoine Winfield Jr.<\/td>\nChristian Izien<\/td>\nSebastian Castro<\/td>\nJJ Roberts\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FS<\/td>\nTykee\u00a0Smith<\/td>\nKaevon Merriweather<\/td>\nRashad Wisdom\u00a0IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RCB<\/td>\nZyon McCollum<\/td>\nKindle Vildor<\/td>\nJosh Hayes<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NB<\/td>\nJacob Parrish\u00a0Q<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who are these Tampa Bay Defenders?\u00a0 There are not many household names that are familiar to Patriots fans.\u00a0 Elijiah Roberts, a rookie is the LDE in their 3-4 Defensive alignment.\u00a0 The 3-4 DE\u2019s are more like DTs in this alignment.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d 295-pound DE played at SMU and Tampa Bay took him in the 5th<\/sup> round (158). \u00a0His PFF grade is 61.9, 74th<\/sup> amongst DEs.\u00a0 For the season, he has made 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 2 Hurries.<\/p>\n

Vita Vea is a load at 6\u20194\u201d, 347-pounds.\u00a0 The University of Washington product came out in the 2018 Draft, 1st<\/sup> Round (12) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 67.9 good for 48th<\/sup>.\u00a0 For the season he has 18 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, and 17 Hurries.\u00a0 Logan Hall is the RDE.\u00a0 The 6\u20196\u201d, 283-pound DL played at Houston.\u00a0 He was selected in the 2022 Draft 2nd<\/sup> round (33) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 58,1 good for 72nd<\/sup> amongst DL.\u00a0 For the season he has 15 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1, QB Hit and 9 Pressures.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll add Greg Gaines, since Vita Vea is taken out of the game on 3rd<\/sup> and long passing downs.\u00a0 Gaines is 6\u2019 1\u201d, 312-pounds and he also played at Washington.\u00a0 He was selected in the 2019 draft 4th<\/sup> Round (134) by the LA Rams.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 41.9 which is 180th<\/sup> amongst all DL.\u00a0 For the season he has 5 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit and 4 Pressures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yaya Diaby leads the Linebacker group.\u00a0 The 3rd<\/sup> year backer stands 6\u20193\u201d, 263-pounds out of Louisville.\u00a0 \u00a0He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 2023 draft 3rd<\/sup> round (83).\u00a0 His PFF grade is 67 good for 66th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season he has 24 Tackles, 6 Sacks, \u00a04 QB Hits, and 18 Pressures.\u00a0 SirVocea Dennis is second on the team in Tackles.\u00a0 The 6\u2019, 226-pound ILB played at Pittsburgh. \u00a0He was selected in the 2023 Draft 5th<\/sup> Round (155) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 45.9, 132nd<\/sup> amongst all LB.\u00a0 For the season he has 59 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 QB Hits and 7 Pressures.<\/p>\n

Lavonte David is nearly 36 years old.\u00a0 The 13-year veteran stands 6\u2019 1\u201d, 233-pounds out of Nebraska was selected by Tampa Bay in the 2012 Draft 2nd<\/sup> round (58).\u00a0 In his illustrious career he has been selected to 1st<\/sup> Team All Pro, 2x 2nd<\/sup> Team All Pro, Pro Bowl, 2 x 1st<\/sup> team All-American, 1st<\/sup> Team All-Big 12, 1st<\/sup> Tea, All-Big 10, and Super Bowl Champion.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 55.8 good for 105th.<\/span>\u00a0 For the season he has 57 Tackles, 3 sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 5 Pressures.<\/p>\n

Hassan Reddick is not expected to play\u00a0 the 6\u20191\u201d 240-pound Backer out of Temple was selected in the 1st<\/sup> round (13) of the 2017 Draft by Arizona.\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 58,9 good for 1232nd<\/sup> amongst all LBs.\u00a0 For the season he has 16 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 QB Hits and, 23 Pressures.\u00a0 His likely replacement should be Anthony Nelson, who was Defensive Player of the Week in week 8 versus New Orleans.\u00a0 He had two sacks, INT for a TD and a Forced Fumble in the game.\u00a0 The 6\u20197\u201d, 271-pound LB played at Iowa and was selected in the 2019 Draft 4th<\/sup> Round (107) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade for the season is 75.4, 35th<\/sup> amongst all Linebackers.\u00a0 For the season he has 21 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, and 6 Pressures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The key to the Tampa Bay Defense is their secondary.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care what the rankings and advanced metrics say, this is the best secondary Drake Maye and the Patriots will see all year.\u00a0 It starts with Jamel Dean, the number 1 rated CB according to PFF.\u00a0 The 6\u20191\u201d, 206-pound DB played at Auburn.\u00a0 He was selected by TB in the 2019 Draft with the 3rd<\/sup> (194) pick.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 90.7 #1, he has 24 Tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB Hit, 0 Hurries, 6 PBU\u2019s, 3 INT, and\u00a0 1 Forced Fumble.\u00a0 Antoine Winfield is Strong Safety.\u00a0 The 5\u2019 10\u201d, 203-pound S played at Minnesota and was selected in the 2nd<\/sup> round (45) in the 2020 Draft by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 72.1 which is 17th<\/sup> amongst all safeties.\u00a0 On the season he has 41 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits, 4 Hurries, 1 INT, and a Forced Fumble. \u00a0Tykee Smith plays the Free Safety.\u00a0 The 5\u201910\u201d 205-pound Safety played at Georgia and was selected in the 2024 draft, 3rd<\/sup> round (90) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 77.5, good for 6th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the year he has 66 Tackles, and 2 sacks.\u00a0 Zyon McCollum is the RCB.\u00a0 The 6\u20192\u201d 199 DB from Sam Houston State was selected in the 2022 draft, 5th round (157) by Tampa Bay.\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 73.7, good for 23rd<\/sup>.\u00a0 He has 42 Tackles on the season.<\/p>\n

The Nickel Back is no slouch either.\u00a0 Jacob Parrish was a player I had my eye on in this year\u2019s draft for the Patriots.\u00a0 The 5\u201910\u201d, 198-pound DB ran a 4.38 40-yard-dash at the combine.\u00a0 The rookie was selected with Tampa\u2019s 3rd<\/sup> Round (84) selection.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 67 good for 33rd<\/sup> amongst all CBs.\u00a0 He has 41 Tackles, 2 sacks, 1 QB Hit on the season.\u00a0 They will all blitz from anywhere.\u00a0 The worst ranked DB has 33 ranking!\u00a0 That is incredible.\u00a0 I suspect they will load the box and turn the Patriots into a one-dimensional team and allow their secondary to make plays.\u00a0 \u00a0Another point is the high number of players the Bucs have drafted and developed.\u00a0 The secondary was all drafted by Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

Special Teams <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PK<\/td>\nChase McLaughlin<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/td>\nRiley Dixon<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\nRiley Dixon<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PR<\/td>\nKameron Johnson<\/td>\nRachaad White<\/td>\nTez Johnson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KR<\/td>\nSean Tucker<\/td>\nJosh Williams<\/td>\nEmeka Egbuka<\/td>\nKameron Johnson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LS<\/td>\nEvan Deckers<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chase McLaughlin is having a fine season.\u00a0 He is ranked 5th<\/sup> in the league converting 17 of 21 FG attempts (81,9%) and 16 of 17 Extra Point attempts.<\/p>\n

Riley Dixon is the 26th<\/sup> ranked Punter with a 38.4 Net Average.<\/p>\n

Kameron Johnson is 5th<\/sup> with 13,8 Yards Per Return.<\/p>\n

Sean Tucker has been the principal Kickoff returner but has a very low 36th<\/sup> rank and 24.3 Yards Per Return.<\/p>\n

Anatomy of Drake Maye\u2019s Sacks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.\u00a0 Drake Maye has been sacked the second most times (34) in the league this season.\u00a0 However, 7 of those sacks were on scrambles where he just ran out of bounds.\u00a0 In addition to that, 11 other sacks can be attributed to Maye stepping up or running up the middle into a sack.\u00a0 Maye has been coached to be risk-averse, and that it is ok to take a sack rather than throw the ball into a tight window.\u00a0 Those 18 sacks averaged just 2 yards apiece.\u00a0 He is giving his team a chance by not forcing the ball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":63297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1961\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Morse\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@patsfans\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@patsfans\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark Morse\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db6ff3fd6d44db4d259b674785ea2167\"},\"headline\":\"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2460,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Patriots News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/\",\"name\":\"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1961,\"caption\":\"Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/07\\\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Patriots News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/patriots-news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"description\":\"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"PatsFans.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/pfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/patsfans\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@patsfans.official\"],\"foundingDate\":\"2000-06-17\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db6ff3fd6d44db4d259b674785ea2167\",\"name\":\"Mark Morse\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mark Morse\"},\"description\":\"Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob \u201cHarpo\u201d Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/markmorse5\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers","description":"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | PatsFans.com","og_description":"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/","og_site_name":"PatsFans.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","article_published_time":"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1961,"url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mark Morse","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@patsfans","twitter_site":"@patsfans","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/"},"author":{"name":"Mark Morse","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db6ff3fd6d44db4d259b674785ea2167"},"headline":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers","datePublished":"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/"},"wordCount":2460,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Patriots News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/","name":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-07T09:30:06+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-07T14:34:13+00:00","description":"This week will be the biggest test for the young upstart Patriots this season.\u00a0 Are they Contenders or Pretenders?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1961,"caption":"Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/07\/morse-preview-of-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Patriots News","item":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/category\/patriots-news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"MORSE: Preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","name":"PatsFans.com","description":"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization","name":"PatsFans.com","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"PatsFans.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","https:\/\/x.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/patsfans\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@patsfans.official"],"foundingDate":"2000-06-17"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db6ff3fd6d44db4d259b674785ea2167","name":"Mark Morse","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edac4d42d2c985795df98560d6b4a8771bc8502406d21e7a8ee977393412af3e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Mark Morse"},"description":"Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob \u201cHarpo\u201d Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/author\/markmorse5\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27425658_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63293"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63299,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63293\/revisions\/63299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}