Live updates, news, analysis from NFL Week 10

The Patriots go three and out for the first time today after Drake Maye fails to connect with Hunter Henry on third down. Maye’s been unusually inaccurate today, going just 12 of 21, but it’s been enough to pick up 190 yards and two scores thus far. — Amin Touri

The Patriots strike quickly coming out of halftime, as TreVeyon Henderson gets loose in the secondary and sprints away for a 55-yard touchdown run just 48 seconds into the second half. New England leads, 21-10, in the opening minute of the second half after scoring either side of halftime. — Amin Touri

By Christopher Price

Two quarters are in the books, and the Patriots lead the Buccaneers, 14-10.

Baker Mayfield: 9-15, 116 yards, 1 TD

Sean Tucker: 4 carries, 23 yards

Emeka Egbuka: 3 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD

Drake Maye: 11-19, 180 yards, 2 TDs

TreVeyon Henderson: 6 carries, 22 yards

Kyle Williams: 1 catch, 72 yards, 1 TD

Stefon Diggs: 5 catches, 46 yards, 1 TD

• On Friday, former Tampa Bay cornerback Carlton Davis III talked tongue-in-cheek about wanting to win on Sunday so the Patriots could capture the “NFC South championship,” referencing their earlier sweep of Carolina, New Orleans, and Atlanta. They’re two quarters away from “raising a banner” by doing just that this afternoon in swampy Tampa. It has been an uneven and inconsistent half for the Patriots — they need to find a better way to slow Egbuka — but they’re finding a way to put it together in key moments on the road against the Buccaneers.

• Their best offensive drive of the first half came late in the second quarter when, down 10-7, Maye directed a really sharp drive, a series that included a 26-yard pass play to Douglas that got New England into the red zone. After running into a Tampa Bay wall for a couple of plays, the Patriots converted on fourth-and-short with a sparkling ball for Diggs in the corner of the end zone as the first half ran out. Great throw, terrific catch to make it 14-10, New England.

• Streak check: New England’s run of not allowing an opposing running back to hit 50 yards looks to be in relatively decent shape, as Tampa Bay’s Sean Tucker is at 23 rushing yards. (To be fair, the Patriots caught a break with no Bucky Irving in the lineup.)

• On the Bucs’ opening drive, a 24-yard pickup for Egbuka (against Christian Gonzalez) got the Tampa Bay offense started. They ended up cashing in a few plays later when Mayfield again connected with Egbuka on a 21-yard scoring strike to make it 7-0 with 11:23 left in the first quarter. After a solid defensive start last week against the Falcons, it was the sixth time in the last seven weeks where the Patriots have yielded points on the opposing teams’ opening drive. In my experience, it’s the sort of detail that’s really holding New England back from being an elite team. Oh, and Egbuka is the real deal; he was really impressive slicing through some of the zone coverages. Like watching Drake London last week.

• Maye looked anxious and uneasy in the pocket on the first drive. It looked like the early rain and Todd Bowles’ defense were dealing him a curveball, not to mention the fact that he was operating without wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and running back Rhamondre Stevenson. He appeared to settle in a bit — namely on the 72-yard touchdown pass he would deliver to Williams later in the half, as well as the excellent floater for Diggs at the end of the first half.

• Henderson, who started at running back, had a 16-yard run off a toss play late in the first quarter that was his second-longest from scrimmage this year. He nearly broke it; he’s talked about nearly busting out with some of those dirty runs from this season. It’s clear he’s getting closer. He could be in for more second-half work, as Terrell Jennings sustained a knee injury in the second quarter and is questionable to return. It’ll be worth paying attention to how the snaps are doled out moving forward between Henderson and D’Ernest Johnson. They’re probably not going to overwhelm them on the ground, but New England needs to run the ball just enough to keep the threat of play-action in the minds of the Tampa Bay defense.

• The Patriots were one play from not scoring in the first quarter for the just the second time all year (the Steelers’ game was the other one) until Maye hit Williams with an explosive 72-yard pass play down the sideline to tie the game at seven on the last play from scrimmage in the first quarter. A dart from the quarterback, who delivered one of his best deep balls — not intended for Boutte — all year. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams hit a top speed of 21.78 MPH on the play. It was the fastest top speed hit by a Patriots player this season.

• Tampa took the lead again on a 36-yard field goal with 7:16 left in the first half.

• Khyiris Tonga made cameo at fullback for the second straight week; his highlight came when he helped the Patriots pick up a first down on a fourth-and-short. Love to see that sort of flexibility from the big man. He’s very quietly become the single best value free-agent add of this past offseason.

• The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half.

The Patriots get aggressive to close out the first half and it pays off, as Drake Maye hits Stefon Diggs in the corner of the end zone on fourth and goal to give New England a 14-10 lead going into halftime. The Patriots were stuffed three times at the goal line before going to the air, with Diggs making a beautiful leaping, toe-tapping catch for his third touchdown of the year. — Amin Touri

The Buccaneers retake the lead on a 36-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin to make it 10-7 with 7:16 to play in the second quarter. The Patriots continue to struggle to contain receiver Emeka Egbuka, who is up to 76 yards on just three catches after a 31-yard snag. — Amin Touri

For the third time in four drives, the Patriots pick up a single first down — this time via penalty on a pass interference call — before stalling out and punting. New England has just five first downs through four offensive possessions in this one. It remains tied, 7-7, with 11:41 to go in the second quarter. — Amin Touri

The Patriots offense explodes into life with a 72-yard catch and run for a touchdown from Kyle Williams — who had two catches for 20 yards all season — to tie the game at 7-7 in the final seconds of the first quarter. It’s New England’s longest play from scrimmage this season. — Amin Touri

The Patriots offense continues to sputter early in Florida, with TreVeyon Henderson picking up a first down on a 16-yard gain before New England is again forced to punt after a single first down. Drake Maye is just 2 of 7 for 19 yards through two Patriots drives. — Amin Touri

That 16-yarder for Henderson was his second-longest run from scrimmage this season. Nearly broke it. — Christopher Price

Drake Maye struggles on his first drive in Tampa, finding Stefon Diggs for a 9-yard gain before three straight incompletions — none of which were particularly close — as the Patriots punt after one first down. Maye seemed to be struggling to get a grip on things as the rain has started coming down early at Raymond James Stadium. — Amin Touri

A tough start for the Patriots defense, as New England is carved open in a hurry on a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive for the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield went straight to rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka on the opening drive, hitting his best target for a 24-yard completion on the second play of the game before finding Egbuka for a 21-yard score. Tampa Bay leads, 7-0, less than four minutes in. — Amin Touri

That’s the sixth time in the last seven weeks where the Patriots have yielded points on the opposing teams’ opening drive. — Christopher Price

Nicole Yang: Patriots 17, Buccaneers 13. A defensive battle with the Patriots coming out on top.

Christopher Price: Patriots 28, Buccaneers 24. Drake Maye narrowly wins a shootout against fellow MVP candidate Baker Mayfield as the Patriots’ hype train kicks into high gear.

Tara Sullivan: Buccaneers 24, Patriots 21.

Here’s who the Globe’s Patriots reporters and columnists are keeping an eye on.

Patriots

Stefon Diggs. Without Kayshon Boutte and with a lot on the line for the Patriots, this sets up to be an impact game for the veteran. The 31-year-old has been everything New England hoped he would be when he signed in the offseason; he was added for moments like today. — Christopher Price

Hunter Henry. Without the passing attack’s deep threat, Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots will have to take better advantage of the intermediate passes — an area where Tampa’s defense can be vulnerable. Henry, who ranks second on the team in receptions, could be in for a big day. — Nicole Yang

Stefon Diggs has been everything the Patriots could have asked for this season, both on the field (team-high 45 receptions for 508 yards through nine games) and in the locker room, with his veteran presence and team-first attitude (remember the quick recovery from off-season ACL surgery?). Today, with fellow wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) out and the Buccaneers no doubt ready to pressure quarterback Drake Maye, Diggs could be the perfect release valve. — Tara Sullivan

Buccaneers

Emeka Egbuka. With Mike Evans sidelined, the young Tampa Bay receiver has emerged as a bona fide No. 1 pass catcher and a favorite of Baker Mayfield. Look for the Buccaneers to try and get the 6-foot-1-inch Egbuka into the slot as they attempt to take advantage of a potential size mismatch with the 5-foot-8-inch Marcus Jones. — Christopher Price

Baker Mayfield. Since New England’s statement win over Buffalo in Week 5, the Patriots have had the quarterback advantage in each of their four games. Mayfield has been in the MVP conversation, so even without some of his top offensive weapons, he’ll certainly pose a tougher challenge for the defense. — Nicole Yang

When in doubt, go with the quarterback. Baker Mayfield, himself the subject of MVP speculation earlier this season, has battled through various injuries to his oblique and knee, issues that remain even as the Bucs come out of their bye week. Mayfield has found his home in Tampa Bay, and if he can put some points on the board, the Buccaneers could be a playoff favorite. — Tara Sullivan

By Christopher Price

There’s something to be said for consistency and continuity.

Today will mark the 10th game of the 2025 season for the Patriots. They have used six different OL starters in that stretch: Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Ben Brown, Garrett Bradbury, Mike Onwenu, and Morgan Moses.

By the 10th game of the 2024 season, New England had utilized 11 different starters along the offensive line: Chuks Okorafor, Vederian Lowe, Caedan Wallace, Demontrey Jacobs, Michael Jordan, Sidy Sow, David Andrews, Nick Leverett, Ben Brown, Layden Robinson, and Mike Onwenu.

By Christopher Price

Patriots Inactives:

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson

Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte

Linebacker Christian Elliss

Safety John Saunders

Offensive lineman Caedan Wallace

Quarterback Tommy DeVito

Defensive lineman Eric Gregory

No big surprises among the inactives; Stevenson, Boutte, and Ellis were all downgraded Friday, so there’s been plenty of time to digest who might be called upon their absence to contribute today. Stevenson will miss his second straight game, while Elliss and Boutte will sit for the first time this season.

• With Elliss out, Caleb Murphy gets his first start as a member of the Patriots.

• Caedan Wallace has not been active on game day so far this season.

• It looks like that the Patriots will again lean on rookie receiver/return man Elfton Chism III on special teams, as TreVeyon Henderson figures to have more on his place from an offensive standpoint.

By Chad Finn

One illuminating way to gauge how your favorite football team is perceived around the NFL is to look at which announcer teams television networks deploy to call their Sunday games.

During the two-decade dynasty, Jim Nantz called so many Patriots games — first with analyst Phil Simms on CBS’s top team for 13 seasons, then with Tony Romo beginning in 2017 — that a moment was spent acknowledging his 100th broadcast of a New England contest during an October 2020 matchup with the 49ers.

Since the dynasty ended, however? Let’s just say that Nantz hasn’t said, “Hello, friends,” to Patriots viewers very often.

In fact, Sunday’s anticipated matchup with the Buccaneers in Tampa will be the first time Nantz and Romo call a Patriots game in more than two years.

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By Nicole Yang

The Patriots flew to Tampa Bay Saturday ahead of their Sunday showdown against the 6-2 Buccaneers.

Here are three things to watch for.

1. Will Drake Maye take fewer sacks?

Only rookie quarterback Cam Ward has taken more sacks than Maye this season.

Maye has been sacked 34 times (four fewer than Ward), including 12 over the past two weeks. Of the 34 sacks, seven have come on plays where Maye runs out of bounds or scrambles but doesn’t reach the line of scrimmage. Twelve have come on plays where he appears responsible for the sack, either by stepping or running into a tackle.

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By Christopher Price

The Patriots will be seriously shorthanded on the offensive side Sunday against the Buccaneers, as running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) were declared out Friday by coach Mike Vrabel.

Stevenson will miss his second straight game; the veteran running back was absent from last week’s 24-23 win over the Falcons because of the toe issue. As for Boutte, he appeared to sustain his hamstring injury late in the game against Atlanta. Neither practiced over the course of the week.

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