New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5 things to watch

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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 04: Gerald McCoy #93 and Brent Grimes #24 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Melvin Gordon #28 of the San Diego Chargers on a run play during the second half of a game at Qualcomm Stadium on December 4, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

4. Gerald McCoy

There is no player in this game playing at a higher level than Gerald McCoy.

McCoy has 10 quarterback hurries and six hits through the first three games of the season for Tampa Bay, and is also coming off of his best game as a run defender:

Gerald McCoy vs. a bottom-tier OL went about how you'd expect. Was a lot of fun to watch. So disruptive with a size/AA combo that's unfair. pic.twitter.com/MdpTs1cKAa
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 2, 2017

The Patriots are definitely going to have to be on top of their game, keying in on this guy every single play and finding ways to not let him wreck the game completely.

That’s the kind of ability McCoy has, and especially with Tom Brady’s historical struggles going up against constant pressure up the middle of the field, this seems like another huge advantage in favor of the Buccaneers if they can get McCoy favorable matchups.

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