BSJ Game Report: Patriots 19, Buccaneers 14

Everything you need to know about the Patriots’ 19-14 win over the Bucs on Thursday night in quickie form:

HEADLINES

Win’s a win: When it comes to traveling for Thursday night games, especially after a rough home loss, and being without Rob Gronkowski (injury) and Alan Branch (left home), you take your wins where you can get them. Patriots just had three games in 11 days, ended up 2-1 in them, and now can get right with a long layoff before playing at the Jets on Oct. 15.

The defense was vastly improved: The Patriots looked like they simplified their coverages, traveling Stephon Gilmore in man coverage against Mike Evans with help over the top, and there was a lot of Dont’a Hightower in the middle next to Kyle Van Noy. It seemed both moves helped calm the defense down a little bit. The final numbers don’t look great (409 total yards for the Bucs, 330 passing yards for Jameis Winston) and the Bucs definitely helped with sloppy play. But most of the yardage came late in the fourth quarter. The Bucs didn’t convert a third down until late in the third quarter as well.

Kicking decided it: In a five-point game, Stephen Gostkowski made all four of his field goals, and Nick Folk missed all three of his. ‘Nuff said.

TURNING POINT

After the Bucs marched down and pushed the Patriots around on an 11-play, 68-yard drive to take a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter, the Patriots needed to respond. And they did. New England put together their own nine-play, 75-yard drive that at one point featured a second-and-24 play because of a Nate Solder penalty. The drive had 18- and 24-yard completions to James White, a 19-yarder to Brandin Cooks, a third-down conversion by Danny Amendola, and the score to Chris Hogan. After a three-and-out, the Patriots, with another third-down catch by Amendola, were able to put up a field goal and take a 13-7 lead into halftime.

SECOND GUESS

Patriots, for about the third time this season, punted from inside the opponent’s yard line and decided against a Gostkowski 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

THREE UP

Danny Amendola: Already without Julian Edelman, Gronkowski (thigh) couldn’t go, so the gotta-have-it guy again was No. 80, and the little receiver was huge with eight catches on eight targets and 77 yards. Four of them produced first downs, including three on third downs. He also handled three punts, including one with a 40-yard return.

Devin McCourty/Patrick Chung: The two veteran safeties, who did not fare well in the first four games, rose to the challenge against the Bucs. McCourty led the team with 11 tackles, and Chung locked down tight end Cameron Brate with three official passes defensed and all-around stellar coverage.

Stephen Gostkowski: Don’t like giving a whole lot of credit to kickers because their entire job is to make kicks. But he was 4-for-4 and booted a 48-yarder that the Patriots needed to close out the scoring.

Bonus gameball: Bucs K Nick Folk, who missed all four of his kicks. If he doesn’t, the Patriots might not have won this game.

THREE DOWN

Brandon Bolden: The core special teamer had two special-teams penalties, including one offsides on a punt that gave the Bucs a first down.

David Andrews: The center had a rough time blocking the Bucs interior and appeared, at first blush, to be responsible for at least 1.5 sacks and a stuffed run. He also stopped playing when he got his helmet knocked off on one play and looked foolish on television.

Kyle Van Noy: The Patriots got gashed at times vs. the Bucs’ run game and it often looked like Van Noy was being erased on most running plays.

INJURIES

Tom Brady: Appeared to be dinged up a few times in his lower body and right arm, but of course he kept playing.

Elandon Roberts: Appeared at times to be gimpy and may have missed some action.

TOP PLAYS

Chris Hogan made a nifty third-down catch on a ball behind him midway through the first quarter.

Dion Lewis’ 31-yard run, where he bounced off safety Chris Conte.

 

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Perfect pass and catch from Brady to Cooks.

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The lone touchdown, Brady to Hogan.

 

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THREE TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

There's still a lot of work to do: The Patriots barely escaped with a victory (send a big thank you note to Folk) against an inferior opponent, and that was due to the fact that this veteran-laden team is still way too sloppy in all three phases. I mean, 12 penalties, including a bunch on special teams?! And the third-down (33 percent), red-zone (33 percent) and go-to-go (1 of 2) situations were not crisp enough.

Give the coordinators some credit: Maybe it took too long, but Matt Patricia should be commended for coming up with a scheme in a short week that his defense could actually execute. And already without Edelman, Josh McDaniels did good work to give Brady a game-plan he would work with once Rob Gronkowski was declared inactive.

Tom Brady needs to stop making like Michael Vick: We all know he's the ultimate competitor and doesn't want to give up on any plays, but Brady's already taking enough hits due to his woeful offensive line — he doesn't need to be eyeing first-down markers and goal lines, thinking he has a chance at making it. He doesn't, and he's getting pounded in the process. Just throw it away or slide.

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