Even though he has officially retired, Tom Brady is too invested in this weekend’s NFL game. The spotlight is shining on the highly anticipated New England Patriots versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 10 clash. While the matchup already has the football world buzzing, Brady, a former Patriots and Buccaneers player, has gone a step further to showcase his excitement.

Ahead of the game, the Buccaneers’ Instagram page shared a memory from their last encounter with the Patriots in 2021. It was Tom Brady’s first and only game against his former team. The game was memorable as it marked Brady becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards. Brady, amid excitement for the upcoming game, shared the post on his Instagram story, writing:

“It’s a vibe.”

According to Brady’s personal experience, this game holds a special significance for him. As such, he has called it “The NFL’s game of the year.” Though he’s assigned to the Lions-Commanders game for FOX, he confirms he’ll “definitely be watching.” This game is more of a pivotal matchup between two teams leading their respective divisions with the postseason looming. Let’s talk about the teams one by one:

The Patriots (7-2) will be bringing a six-game winning streak into Tampa Bay. The outstanding play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye powers them. On the other hand, the Buccaneers (6-2) are rested following their bye week. The team, under the leadership of quarterback Baker Mayfield, has quietly established itself as one of the NFC’s most well-rounded and complete teams.

While Maye holds the advantage in volume with 2,285 passing yards (5th in the league) and 17 passing touchdowns (tied for 4th), he has thrown twice as many interceptions (four) as Mayfield (two). Offensively, the Patriots edge out the Bucs with an average of 350.7 yards of offense per game, though Tampa Bay isn’t far behind at 323.0 yards per game.

So it is safe enough to say that none of the team will be cutting slack for each other.

 How the Patriots and Buccaneers plan on facing each other

For a long time, the Patriots struggled to find a replacement for Tom Brady. But now, it seems they’ve found their guy in second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Maye put on an incredible show against the Carolina Panthers, leading the team to a huge 43-13 win. He threw for three touchdowns and even earned high praise from Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law. Maye’s game play proved to be a major ray of hope for the struggling team, which faced a tough time after Brady left. His stats are impressive and actually have a similarity to Brady’s early career: halfway through the season, Maye has a stat of 2,285 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions.

 It will not be wrong to say that the Patriots have found themselves their second Tom Brady.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having a fantastic season! They entered their Week 9 bye with a strong 6-2 record, which would currently put them as the number two seed in the NFC playoffs.

While there’s still a lot of football left to play, starting quarterback Baker Mayfield isn’t taking anything for granted. If the Buccaneers can keep up their scoring pace, they’ll also end up being one of the league’s top-scoring teams.

RT Luke Goedeke was on IR but was activated today for the Patriots game. He’s expected to provide a major boost to the Buccaneers’ offense

These fantastic stats on the part of Maye haven’t gone unnoticed. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk even named Maye as a possible MVP candidate, highlighting his eighth straight game with over 200 passing yards and a high passer rating of 100 or more.

Maye is currently on a mission to bring the Patriots back to the playoffs, something they haven’t achieved since the 2021 season. This strong run is a big deal, as New England hasn’t been in the Super Bowl conversation since before Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020.

The Patriots will try to extend their win streak to seven as they head on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 9th.