New England Patriots: Win-Loss predictions for every game in 2017
By Nick Ziegler
Week 5: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the fifth week of the regular season, the New England Patriots will be playing their second road game and their second game on Thursday Night Football. This game can certainly be a tricky one for the Patriots, as playing on the road on a short week is never something a team wants. Also, the Buccaneers appear to be a team on the rise.
Defeating the Buccaneers will be no easy task for the Patriots in Week 5. Quarterback Jameis Winston appears to be ready to make a big step road as a quarterback in the NFL, and the Buccaneers have surrounded him with a lot of talent. Having weapons like Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson will help the Winston take the step toward being an elite quarterback in the NFL.
This will be the Patriots’ third game against an NFC South opponent, and they will be challenged by a strong offense once again. Even though the schedule did the Patriots no favors in this game, they should still be able to defeat the Buccaneers. However, in the first five games of the season, this will likely be the Patriots’ big test early on.