10 things we’re watching in Patriots’ matchup with Buccaneers

Sunday marks a serious test for the - Patriots The Patriots trip down south to take on the - Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Here s what we re watching for in the matchup that will feature CBS s No crew Jim Nantz Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson on the broadcast Related Articles Patriots Carlton Davis details disbelief of being traded by Buccaneers Patriots rule out three starters for Week tournament vs Buccaneers Patriots get bad news at final practice before Buccaneers event New Patriots Get to know rookie starter Jared Wilson better on and off the field Callahan A big Patriots challenge Mike Vrabel s new message and more Week thoughts It s another week without starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson who is still nursing a toe injury Expect to see TreVeyon Henderson Terrell Jennings and D Ernest Johnson at running back Johnson was elevated last week as well but didn t see any snaps on offense Henderson and Jennings played fine in Stevenson s place Henderson generated a big play in the passing battle and Jennings scored his first NFL touchdown The Patriots will need to be able to run the ball to beat the Bucs The Patriots offense sputtered in the second half last week when Kayshon Boutte wasn t on the field The Patriots will be without Boutte on Sunday against the Bucs as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury It will be engaging to see if rookie Kyle Williams or slot receiver DeMario Douglas sees more snaps this week If it s Douglas then Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins will need to play more snaps outside If it s Williams then it s a big moment for the rookie wideout who s caught just two passes on six targets this season One thing is clear however The Patriots will miss Boutte one of the NFL s top deep threats this season Linebacker Christian Elliss hip will also miss Sunday s competition The Patriots have rotated their linebackers next to Robert Spillane all season with Elliss Jack Gibbens Marte Mapu and Jahlani Tavai all seeing snaps Spillane has played phenomenal football this year Elliss Gibbens Mapu and Tavai have all played solid as well Expect to see Gibbens play the majority of snaps next to Spillane Will Maye continue to be able to threaten downfield without Boutte It will be demanding The Buccaneers rank fourth in DVOA defense adjusted value over average defending the deep part of the field They have a dangerous secondary with safeties Antoine Winfield Jr and Tykee Smith and cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum all playing good football The Bucs also force quarterbacks to get rid of the ball hurriedly The Bucs heavy blitzing approach will test the Patriots offensive line and running backs Stevenson is one of the NFL s best at blitz pickup Henderson has struggled in that role as a rookie and Jennings is inexperienced at the pro level Don t be surprised if the Patriots keep tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper and fullback Jack Westover in to help out the line and backs Injuries aren t only affecting the Patriots The Bucs will be without wide receiver Chris Godwin and running back Bucky Irving With wideouts Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan also on injured reserve it makes a ton of sense for Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez to shadow Emeka Egbuka who has catches for yards with five touchdowns as a rookie after being selected in the first round If Gonzalez can erase Egbuka then the Bucs could have trouble moving the ball on offense The Patriots desperately longed to sign Godwin in free agency this offseason but the wide receiver coming off of an ankle dislocation elected to take a paycut to remain with the Bucs The Patriots pivoted to signing Stefon Diggs Godwin has six catches for yards in two games Diggs has catches for yards with two touchdowns Midway through the first season of their three-year deals the advantage goes heavily toward Diggs who s also been a tremendous leader With touchdowns and two interceptions Mayfield has had a tremendous season rivaling Drake Maye s A strong performance in this battle could help out either quarterback s MVP candidacy since it s a national p m battle Mayfield has been laboring a bit in two straight games with a completion rate and one touchdown and one interception before a Week bye The Patriots need to avoid injuries They avoided making any additions at the transaction deadline and injuries are starting to pile up a bit Getting out of this contest healthy with the Jets Bengals and Giants next up on their schedule before a bye will be a win This is a winnable contest for the Patriots who are -point underdogs Still the win streak will have to come to an end at specific point and a loss here can t disappoint Patriots fans too much We see a - Bucs win