Week 10 Preview: Bucs vs. Pats Headlines Midseason Slate
The New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead their respective divisions halfway through the 2025 season.
With nine weeks left, the Miami Dolphins should be glad they aren’t at the bottom of the AFC East. That may change this week when the Buffalo Bills come into town.
WRUF beat reporter Dalton Sallengs has caught up to Riley Orovitz in the pair’s weekly picks. Dalton correctly predicted last week’s two-game slate, putting the two writers at 15-10 for the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
The Buccaneers (6-2) look to be without running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. for their Week 10 matchup. Irving has been sidelined for the last month, missing the Bucs’ last four contests.
Running back Rachaad White has averaged 44.75 yards per game while carrying the load. Tampa Bay will host the Patriots (7-2), who are allowing just 75.4 yards per game on the ground.
If the Bucs want to find their seventh win of the season, they will have to see improvement from quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Oklahoma product was thought to lead the MVP race early in the season, but has taken a severe decline in efficiency.
Mayfield had four plus-250 yard games prior to Week 7, and has not exceeded that total since. With Godwin still sidelined and wide receiver Mike Evans expected to miss the greater majority of the season, rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka will have to reconnect with his QB to find success.
New England has allowed 223.6 passing yards per game this season. Since seeing a five-touchdown stretch across Weeks 1-5, Egbuka has not found the end zone since the team’s Oct. 5 shootout victory in Seattle.
The Patriots are riding a six-game win streak and will look to pull off the upset in Tampa Bay. If New England takes down the Bucs, watch out for Drake Maye and Co. in the AFC playoff race.
Riley’s pick: Buccaneers 28, Patriots 24
Dalton’s pick: Buccaneers 29, Patriots 24
Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
Fresh off a change at general manager, the Dolphins will host a AFC East powerhouse in the Bills. Miami will look to not be embarrassed in the organization’s first game without GM Chris Grier in the building since 2016.
The Dolphins (2-7) looked to be partially back on its feet after defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8. Then, reality set in and Miami was dominated by the Baltimore Ravens on primetime 28-6.
The trade deadline came and went for the Dolphins with the floundering squad only dealing one weapon. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick.
Despite the growing speculation that Miami would ship other players like defensive end Bradley Chubb or wide receiver Jaylen Waddle elsewhere, interim general manager Champ Kelly decided to stay put.
Now, the Dolphins face Buffalo (6-2) as 9.5-point underdogs, according to Hard Rock Bet. The Bills are led by quarterback and the 2025 AP Most Valuable Player Josh Allen, who threw just three incompletions in a Week 9 win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Miami down Phillips and linebacker Chop Robinson (concussion protocol), the Dolphins’ defense may be in for a long afternoon. Bills running back James Cook III is also posting career-high numbers but tagged with a doubtful status following missing Wednesday’s practice.
The South Florida native has totaled 867 rushing yards and seven touchdowns thus far.
Even if Cook is forced to miss Sunday, the Dolphins may need some luck in taking down their divisional foe.
Riley: Bills 34, Dolphins 10
Dalton: Bills 40, Dolphins 14
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
After experiencing a two-game skid, the Jaguars (5-3) find themselves back in the win column after taking down the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime 30-29.
Despite being 2.5-point favorites heading into the victory, Jacksonville struggled immensely. The Jags were down 9-6 heading into the fourth quarter, and watched as wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was forced to exit the contest early due to an ankle sprain.
The second-year wideout has a chance to play this week, but Jacksonville brought in a reinforcement in case the injury becomes more serious. As wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter finds himself on injured reserve, Jacksonville’s first-year general manager James Gladstone made a trade in the receiver department.
Former Raiders weapon Jakobi Meyers will be quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s newest target moving forward. The veteran wideout posted over 1,000 yards in 2024.
The Jaguars now face the Texans (3-5), who will be without their starting quarterback. CJ Stroud remains in concussion protocol and will watch as backup Davis Mills takes over.
Mills, a veteran signal caller, started all of 2022 for Houston, where he posted 3,118 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.
In order for Jacksonville to right the ship, it will have to dominate its AFC South rival. In the teams’ previous matchup on Sept 21, the Jags came out on top 17-10 thanks to running back Travis Etienne Jr. finding the end zone with under two minutes remaining.
Riley: Jaguars 24, Texans 14
Dalton: Jaguars 24, Texans 21
Category: NFL
