Pats Get Help and Hold On vs. Bucs

The Patriots-Buccaneers Thursday Night Football clash came down to the final play with the much-maligned Patriots defense getting the stop to preserve a 19-14 victory.

The Pats move to 3-2 with an extended break to re-evaluate how things have gone to start the season. It was a needed win and hopefully one to build off of. The defense was far better, forcing six punts but showed a lack of discipline often and still struggled to stop big plays. They were also helped by three missed field goals by Nick Folk that could’ve changed the game.

The offense moved the ball frequently, but went quiet at the end, punting twice  and amassing just 42 yards in three fourth-quarter possessions. A recovered onside kick helped set up a long field goal when the Pats got just seven yards when a first down would’ve sealed it.

Tom Brady threw for 300 yards but had two turnovers  that luckily cost the team zero points. Brandin Cooks and Mike Gillislee continue to emerge, while Danny Amendola (eight catches) came through on third down. The offense is headed in the right direction if they can get their offensive line together for 60 minutes.

Yes, there’s still much to work on, especially the crazy number of hits that Brady is taking. But a win is a win and a long break is a long break. This game was a positive step forward for this team despite some definite problems and recurring flaws.

Here’s how it went down.

Rob Gronkowski popped up on the injury report, and after initial reports that despite a thigh bruise he would play, ended up being inactive.

The Patriots responded by going heavy into the spread passing game, attacking underneath via the no huddle early. But a bad throw by Brady ended what looked like a promising first drive. It was his first interception of the season.

Inexplainably, the defense, with Dont’a Hightower back to a full-sized role, forced back-to-back four-and-outs to start their game. It was a strong start for the much-maligned unit.

Starting from their two-yard line, the Pats drove out to mid-field, then a 31-yard run off the right edge by Dion Lewis put them into the red zone. Brady was under duress on third-and-five at the nine-yard line and threw incomplete. Stephen Gostkowski nailed the 27-yard field goal to give the Pats a late-first-quarter lead, 3-0.

It was the longest drive of the season for the offense.

Wouldn’t you know it, the Patriots forced another three-and-out after an excellent pass breakup by Patrick Chung. Early on, it looked like a totally different defense than the one we had seen just a few days before.

The offense had another three-and-out, a possession that had them sitting at 2nd-and-one before Mike Gillislee was stopped for a loss, setting the stage for the Bucs’ second sack of the night on third down.

The Buccaneer offense would get going on the next drive, reeling off plays of 11, 11 and 17 yards. Doug Martin capped off the dominant 68-yard drive that he powered with strong runs right up the guts of the defense, exposing Kyle Van Noy‘s deficiencies against the run. 7-3 Bucs midway through the second quarter.

The Patriots would reel off some big plays of their own on the ensuing drive, climbing out of a Nate Solder penalty-induced 2nd-and-24. 20 yards to Cooks then Amendola on third down. Brady would cap the answering drive with a touchdown to Hogan. Brady didn’t have an incompletion on the drive.

The defense would rebound and force their fourth punt of the half, giving the offense back the ball. Danny Amendola capitalized with a 40-yard punt return. Tack on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Bucs and Brady was set up at the 27 but couldn’t get into the end zone, settling for a field goal and making it a 13-7 Patriots lead.

But it wasn’t just a simple “run-the-clock-out last possessions. A shoving match between some Patriots including Malcolm Butler and Desean Jackson broke out. The Patriots then took BACK-TO-BACK roughing the passer penalties with stupid late hits on Winston. That gave the Bucs a shot at a 56-yard field goal, but as anyone who watched Hard Knocks might’ve expected, Nick Folk missed it.

Aside from one bad drive and two stupid penalties, the Patriots defense looked far better. The offense struggled to finish in the red zone without Gronk, but still moved the ball consistently.

The Patriots defense forced their fifth punt of the night out of the locker room to start the second half, and the offense responded with a 67-yard drive that stalled and had to settle for another Gostkowski field goal. That drive included catches of 17 and 34 yards by Cooks. Pats 16-7.

The chemistry between the free agent and Brady is taking strong steps each week.

The defense thought they had forced their fourth three-and-out until Brandon Bolden jumped offsides on the punt and gave the Bucs a first down. It mattered not to a defense suddenly playing like the 2004 version, as they forced another three and out with Chung making another fantastic pass defense on third down.

Brady continued to pick apart Tampa, leaning on Danny Amendola in absence of Gronk and Edelman. But a second-down blitz blasted Brady, forcing a fumble his second turnover of the day.

The Bucs got their first third down conversion of the game, but they wouldn’t get their second as the Pats’ D played tough and forced yet another miss by Nick Folk, this from 49 yards.

The offense stalled despite another clutch Amendola catch on third down. They punted, pinning the Bucs at their three-yard-line. But a -yard pass to Desean Jackson flipped the field and sparked the Tampa offense. Bit again it was all for not as Folk missed his third field goal of the game!

Yes, the Patriots lucked out with such an inept special teams performance by the Tampa kicker, but with how this season has gone, I’ll take it.

A Patriots three-and-out ate up just 1:07 of clock, leaving four minutes, and Winston took advantage with big plays, scoring a touchdown after a 29-yard pass to Desean Jackson on third down.

On the ensuing onside kick Nate Ebner grabbed the ball with 2:08 left. After the two-minute warning Brady faced a third down to ice the game. Chris Hogan was tackled short of the first down, and New England drained the clock to 1:14, setting up a 48-yard field goal attempt for Gostkowski, who drained his fourth to extend the lead, making it 19-14.

The Bucs took the ball down the field and had one last play with three seconds to go from the 19 which fell incomplete giving the Patriots a hard-fought 19-14 win.