September 20th, 2013 
Morgan Smith 
Posted in TAMPA BAY (0-2) at NEW ENGLAND (2-0)
1 p.m. EDT, FOX
OPENING LINE — Patriots by 7 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Tampa Bay 1-1, New England 0-2
SERIES RECORD — Patriots lead 5-2
LAST MEETING — Patriots beat Buccaneers 35-7, Oct. 25, 2009
LAST WEEK — Saints beat Buccaneers 16-14; Patriots beat Jets 13-10
AP PRO32 RANKING — Buccaneers tied No. 29; Patriots tied No. 6
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (29), RUSH (11), PASS (31)
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (13T), RUSH (12), PASS (18)
PATRIOTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (22), RUSH (13), PASS (21)
PATRIOTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (28), PASS (4)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Bucs lost their two games by combined three points. Patriots won two by combined five points. … Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin rushed for 144 yards last Sunday. New England has 212 yards rushing all season. … Bucs FS Dashon Goldson can play after one-game suspension was reduced by appeals officer Matt Birk to $100,000 fine for helmet-to-helmet hit on New Orleans RB Darren Sproles. … QB Josh Freeman ranked 30th in NFL in passer rating, Patriots’ Tom Brady ranked 27th with rookie-filled receiving group. … Bucs CB Darrelle Revis faces Patriots for 12th time in career, first 11 with Jets. … Tampa Bay’s big receivers, 6-foot-5 Vincent Jackson and 6-2 Mike Williams, combined for 18 receptions in first two games. … LB Mason Foster had third-longest interception return for TD in Bucs history last Sunday, 85-yarder against Saints. … Brady’s 50 straight games with at least one TD pass is second-longest streak in NFL history. Drew Brees’ streak of 54 ended last season. … Injury-plagued Patriots could be without TE Rob Gronkowski for third straight game, WR Danny Amendola for second. … In win over Jets, Patriots had more punts (11) than first downs (9). … WR Julian Edelman’s 20 catches were tied for NFL lead after second week after having career-high 37 as rookie in 2009 and 21 last year. … Patriots are 31-3 in last 34 home games. … Former Bucs CB Aqib Talib had two interceptions and one forced fumble against Jets. Patriots obtained him in trade last Nov. 1.
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