It feels like it has been decades since the Patriots were considered a legitimate threat not only in their division, but in the NFL, and because of that, they have primarily played in the morning slot on Sundays with the D-team in the booth to call their games.
They also haven't been featured much on primetime since Tom Brady left five years ago, other than the seemingly required Thursday Night game that no team wants to play. And although the Patriots have been a much-improved team this year, currently on a six-game win streak, they still haven't had the best commentary teams on their games.
There was some hope that would change for their Week 10 matchup with the Bucs next Sunday, and according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, fans are getting their wish, as CBS's Jim Nantz and Tony Romo are expected to call the battle between the top MVP candidates next week.
Jim Nantz (play by play), Tony Romo (analysis) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline) are on the CBS call for Sunday's Patriots-Buccaneers game.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 3, 2025
Besides their primetime showdown with the Bills a few weeks ago, the Patriots haven't had the top names in the booth at all this season, so this will be the first time this year.
A big reason for that, beyond the impressive run by the Baker Mayfield-led Bucs team is Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots are finally getting national recognition for their Week 10 game
Although there was a lot of optimism that the Patriots would win more games this season than they did last year, they have far exceeded the expectations analysts projected for them. They're going into their Week 10 matchup against the Bucs with a league-leading record of 7-2, on a six-game win streak, hoping to match their last two season records by sneaking out of Tampa with another win.
It's an impressive feat considering all the changes they underwent this year, with the firing of Jerod Mayo for Mike Vrabel, an entirely new coaching staff, and a dramatically overhauled roster. On top of that, Maye has been playing out of his mind so far, and while there was hope he would have a second-year jump, nobody could have anticipated he would be a favorite in the MVP conversation at any point.
But that's what makes the upcoming game that much more intriguing, which is why the network decided to have its best commentary team in the booth.
The battle between the two frontrunners for MVP will be one to watch, and having Nantz and Romo in the booth will only heighten the interest, maybe even making it the game of the week. There is a lot on the line for a Week 10 game, and the Patriots could very easily continue, if not change, the trajectory of their season based on the result.
They're already on a playoff path, and beating a leading NFC team will only strengthen those odds. A loss would be disappointing, but not devastating, especially since they weren't even expected to be as good as they have been, and it also wouldn't completely derail their postseason chances.
No matter what ends up happening, the Patriots have been a far better team than anyone could have predicted and that's exciting enough. The future is bright in New England and things will only get bette from here.