Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Patriots: Key Plays from Week 5

The Buccaneers were defeated by the Patriots in heartbreaking fashion, what key plays allowed New England to pick up the victory?

The Patriots rarely ever lose back-to-back games and looked to make sure it did not happen against the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football.

Well, it did not happen, but it was nothing the Pats did. We all know why the Patriots won, but I’ll go ahead and say it anyway. The Buccaneers kicker, Nick Folk, couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.

The Buccaneers were again missing key players in Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, T.J. Ward, and even Keith Tandy now. The offense struggled at times, but Doug Martin looked sharp in his return.

Tom Brady was his usual self, but he did have a few slip-ups which the Bucs, unfortunately, Tampa was unable to capitalize on.

Without further ado, let’s get to the key plays.

Must Read: Week 5 Grades

Justin Evans INT: 13:10 in Q1

Brady looked sharp early, but he threw an errant pass and Evans took advantage. The rookie got his first career pick in spectacular fashion and on possibly the greatest quarterback of all time.

This was a key play because it killed off a promising drive and it gave Evans much needed confidence.

Doug Martin 1-yd TD Run: 8:26 left in Q2

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bucs began feeding Doug Martin and he rewarded them. This was Martin’s drive from start to finish. He picked up yardage in chunks all throughout the drive before leaping over the pile for the score.

This was a key play because the Bucs took the lead and the returning back was rewarded for his efforts.

Chris Hogan 5-yd TD: 3:42 in Q2

After the defense gave up the score, Brady got it right back. The future Hall of Famer led the Pats down the field on a methodical drive before capping it off with a touchdown pass to Hogan.

This was a key play because it allowed the Pats to regain the lead.

Must Read: Week 5 Winners and Losers

Adarius Glanton Forced Fumble: 3:18 left in Q3

Midway through the third quarter, Brady was driving again into Tampa territory. The Bucs sent a well-timed blitz as Glanton and Will Clarke sandwiched Brady and forced a fumble. The pass rush was showing life Thursday night.

This was a key play because it again stopped what looked to be points for New England.

Cameron Brate 14-yd TD: 2:09 left in 4th

The Buccaneers got their second touchdown of the game on a brilliant drive by Jameis Winston. Winston came out in the no-huddle, and was lethal as he looked the part of a franchise quarterback on this drive. Connecting on a big play on third-and-long with DeSean Jackson before scoring a touchdown on his pass to Brate.

This was a key play because it gave the Bucs a glimmer of hope and gave Brate some confidence after some bad drops.

The main storyline from this game is a familiar one, missed opportunities. Last week, I talked about how the Buccaneers could not afford to leave points on the board, and four days later it cost them.

Next: Week 5 Stat Shot

Nick Folk‘s time in Tampa is surely over and good riddance. Had he made two of the three field goals the Bucs most likely come away victorious. Instead, the team is in the same boat as last year, desperately needing a kicker who won’t cost them games.

Hats off to the defense; only allowing one score to Brady without four starters is impressive. The offense just did not reward the defense for their efforts, only scoring two touchdowns on arguably the worst defense in football.

Up until the fourth quarter, Jameis was not playing very well, but his receivers were not helping him out either. When the defense plays like they did, the offense has to help them out and step up.

Following the mini-bye, the Bucs have the Cardinals on tap, and Tampa will be looking to avenge last year’s embarrassing loss. Hopefully, they’ll be aided by the returns of key defensive players.