Thursday Night Football will feature the Patriots wearing all white uniforms against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of the NFL’s color rush promotion. The Boston Globe says the Bucs are dangerous, and explains why.
Covering the mammoth Mike Evans will quite literally be a tall task. The Boston Herald says the Patriots can expect plenty of formations from the Bucs offense.
The Globe has a nice piece on rookie Adam Butler, who has plenty on his plate beyond football.
The Boston Herald says Stephon Gilmore is taking a lot of heat but the defensive struggles are about much more than just the corner. Eric Rowe and Nate Solder missed some practice time this week. The Providence Journal says the problems on defense can be traced back to the offseason. NBCSports.com explains how Devin McCourty and his mates in the secondary have been working overtime to get things corrected. Former staff member Mike Lombardi says the Patriots can’t simply outscore teams every week. The Boston Sports Journal wonders if the Patriots focus on special teams players is catching up with them.
The offense has had no such troubles, and ESPNBoston.com reports that Tom Brady’s opening to the season is among the best starts of all-time. As great as Brady has been, the Boston Herald doesn’t believe the reliance on the quarterback is sustainable. Rob Gronkowski is frustrated with the inconsistency surrounding pass interference calls. Solder's improvement against the Panthers was one silver lining to the loss.
The Worcester Telegram chats with James White, who believes the team has what it takes to rebound from the 2-2 start. MassLive.com says Mike Gillislee is looking to break a long run.
In Tampa, the Bucs are still waiting for the dangerous DeSean Jackson to click with Jameis Winston. The Tampa Times also has T.J. Ward expressing his displeasure with Thursday night games, and the Bucs defense getting a boost from the return of cornerback Brent Grimes.
