New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Drake Maye and TreVeyon Henderson Lead Patriots to Victory

Struggling to find a clean breakdown of what actually happened in the New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown? Box scores only tell half the story, and highlight reels skip the details that decide games. Here’s the full statistical picture of how New England pulled away in Tampa on the strength of explosive plays and a dominant fourth-quarter finish.

1. The Lead

The New England Patriots traveled to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, November 9, 2025, and left with a 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of 65,492 fans. The game aired on CBS and improved New England’s record to 8-2 while dropping Tampa Bay to 6-3, tightening the race atop their respective divisions.

This was the first meeting between these two franchises since Tom Brady’s retirement, and the game lived up to the occasion. Drake Maye threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but it was rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson who stole the show, breaking off touchdown runs of 55 and 69 yards to finish with a career-high 147 rushing yards on just 14 carries. Baker Mayfield kept Tampa Bay within striking distance with 273 passing yards and three touchdown throws, but the Buccaneers couldn’t overcome New England’s big-play efficiency on offense.

2. Match Overview

3. Core Match Statistics Overview

Explosive Play Efficiency

• New England piled up more total yards despite trailing badly in first downs, a clear sign that chunk plays carried the offense.
• Drake Maye’s 72-yard touchdown strike to Kyle Williams and Henderson’s two long touchdown runs accounted for nearly half of the Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers yardage total by themselves.

Time of Possession vs Scoring Output

• Tampa Bay controlled the clock for nearly five extra minutes but still gave up 28 points, showing that sustained drives didn’t translate into stops.
• New England needed far fewer snaps to generate its scoring, a pattern that shows up again and again in this Patriots vs Buccaneers stat sheet.

Red Zone and Fourth Down Decisions

• The Buccaneers were more efficient once they reached the red zone, converting 2 of 3 chances compared to New England’s 1-for-2 mark.
• New England’s willingness to go for it on fourth down twice, converting both, kept scoring drives alive when field goals wouldn’t have been enough to stay ahead.

4. Period-by-Period Analysis

• First Quarter: Baker Mayfield opened the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka, but Drake Maye answered immediately, connecting with Kyle Williams for a 72-yard score on the final play of the quarter to tie it at 7-7.
• Second Quarter: Chase McLaughlin’s 36-yard field goal put Tampa Bay back in front, but Maye’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs as time expired in the half gave New England a 14-10 lead heading into the break.
• Third and Fourth Quarters: TreVeyon Henderson’s 55-yard touchdown run opened the second half scoring for New England, and Tez Johnson’s two short touchdown catches kept Tampa Bay within reach until Henderson’s 69-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter sealed the win.

5. New England Patriots Player Statistics

Drake Maye (QB) — 16/31, 270 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, plus 7 rushes for 13 yards Maye’s efficiency through the air, highlighted by the 72-yard bomb to Williams, set the tone early and kept the Buccaneers defense honest all afternoon.

RB TreVeyon Henderson: 14 carries, 147 running yards, 2 touchdowns (long of 69 yards) With two broken-tackle rushes, Henderson’s career day was the single most contributor to the victory. into back-breaking scores that Tampa Bay’s defense never solved.

Mack Hollins (WR) — 6 receptions, 106 yards Hollins was Maye’s most reliable target on possession downs, chipping away with a long catch of 54 yards to move the chains in key spots.

Stefon Diggs (WR) — 5 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD Diggs’ contested touchdown grab over Antoine Winfield Jr. right before halftime proved to be a pivotal score in New England’s win.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player Statistics

Baker Mayfield (QB) — 28/43, 273 passing yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Mayfield spread the ball around all game and avoided turnovers, but three touchdown passes weren’t enough to offset New England’s rushing explosion.

Emeka Egbuka (WR) — 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD (13 targets) Egbuka was Tampa Bay’s clear top target, opening the scoring on a 21-yard touchdown and finishing as the game’s leading receiver.

Cade Otton (TE) — 9 receptions, 82 yards (12 targets) Otton was Mayfield’s security blanket over the middle, converting a team-high nine catches into consistent chain-moving gains.

Tez Johnson (WR) — 4 receptions, 42 yards, 2 TD Johnson scored twice on short touchdown grabs, keeping Tampa Bay within a possession in both the third and fourth quarters.

7. Statistical Leaders Summary

8. Why New England Won

Explosive Plays Over Volume

New England didn’t need long, methodical drives — three plays of 40 or more yards did the heavy lifting, letting the offense outscore Tampa Bay’s ball-control approach.

Henderson’s Breakout Ground Game

Henderson averaged over 10 yards per carry and turned two runs into touchdowns covering more than 120 combined yards, giving New England a rushing dimension that Tampa Bay simply couldn’t account for.

Timely Fourth-Down Aggression

Going 2-for-2 on fourth down let head coach Mike Vrabel keep drives alive rather than settling for field goal attempts, a decision that directly padded the final scoring margin.

Why Tampa Bay Lost

First-Down Volume Without Explosiveness

Tampa Bay actually won the first-down battle 24-16 but couldn’t turn that volume into equivalent points, a sign the Buccaneers’ offense relied on grinding drives rather than chunk gains.

Missed Opportunities in Coverage

The 72-yard touchdown to Kyle Williams and Henderson’s untouched touchdown runs point to breakdowns in run fits and deep coverage that erased whatever advantage Tampa Bay built through possession time.

9. Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Season Series Note: This was the only scheduled meeting between the Patriots and Buccaneers in the 2025 season, and it marked the first time the two franchises played each other since Tom Brady’s retirement from the NFL.

Advanced Statistical Insights: Maye’s 89.4 passer rating on just 31 attempts, paired with Henderson’s 10.5 yards-per-carry average, shows how New England leaned on efficiency per snap rather than raw play volume. Mayfield’s 106.1 rating with zero interceptions on 43 attempts reflects a clean game from Tampa Bay’s quarterback, but the gap between New England’s 27.3 yards per completion on its top play and Tampa Bay’s more conservative underneath passing attack explains the scoreboard difference despite similar total yardage.

10. Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the Patriots:

• An 8-2 record keeps New England firmly in control of the AFC East race.
• Henderson’s emergence gives the offense a genuine second dimension beyond Maye’s arm heading into the season’s final stretch.
• The road win over a playoff-contending Buccaneers team adds a signature victory to New England’s resume.

What This Means for the Buccaneers:

• Tampa Bay’s defense needs to tighten up against explosive plays, since the Buccaneers were shredded by three long scoring plays in one afternoon.
• Falling to 6-3 puts more pressure on Tampa Bay’s remaining NFC South schedule.

Key Lessons from the Game:

• Explosive plays can outweigh first-down volume in deciding a football game.
• A clean game from your quarterback isn’t enough if the defense allows chunk plays.
• Fourth-down aggression, when it works, can be the difference in a one-score game.
• Running back efficiency (yards per carry) matters as much as total touches.
• Time of possession doesn’t guarantee a win if the trailing team’s offense is more explosive per play.
• Defensive discipline against big plays is often the deciding factor in close divisional-style matchups.

FAQs

Who won the Patriots vs Buccaneers game?

The New England Patriots won 28-23 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 9, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium.

In the game, who had the best stats?

TreVeyon Henderson led all players with 147 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on just 14 carries, while Baker Mayfield led all passers with 273 yards and 3 touchdown passes.

What were Drake Maye’s stats in the game?

Drake Maye completed 16 of 31 passes for 270 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, adding 13 rushing yards on 7 carries.

What were Baker Mayfield’s stats in the game?

Baker Mayfield went 28-of-43 for 273 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, finishing with a 106.1 passer rating.

How many touchdowns did TreVeyon Henderson score?

Henderson scored 2 rushing touchdowns, on runs of 55 and 69 yards, en route to a career-high 147 rushing yards.

Where was the game played?

In front of 65,492 spectators, the game took place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Conclusion

The New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup came down to efficiency over volume. Tampa Bay moved the chains more often and held the ball longer, but New England’s explosive plays through the air and on the ground, especially TreVeyon Henderson’s breakout rushing performance, proved to be the deciding factor. It was a game where a handful of big plays outweighed steady, ball-control football, pushing the Patriots to 8-2 and handing the Buccaneers a costly setback at 6-3.