Patriots aim for 7th straight win when they visit the Buccaneers in battle of first-place teams

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield replaced Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. Drake Maye is giving fans in New England a reason for hope for the first time since Brady left.

The two quarterbacks have even more in common. Both have played at MVP levels this season, and that’s why their teams are in first place.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers (6-2) host Maye and the Patriots (7-2) on Sunday in a battle between two of the NFL’s top teams.

“I love Drake, really good guy,” Mayfield said. “But, just how he is playing, efficient. I think the down-the-field passing is something that he was really good at in college, and it is translating now. You can just tell he is getting comfortable. (The) game is slowing down for him, he is athletic. Although he is a big guy, he can take off and run. He is using all the attributes that he has.”

The four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers were expected to be contenders, though they’ve had to overcome a slew of injuries. The Patriots have been one of the league’s biggest surprises. Coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons, first-year coach Mike Vrabel has quickly turned New England into a winner. The Patriots have a six-game winning streak.

“What this game is like against a good team, good record, good quarterback, great defense,” Maye said. “So it’s a challenge and it feels like a game that (has) a little bit of extra to it. But, I think it’s also an opponent we don’t really know really well. NFC South, we don’t see that often, but it’s a chance for us to get another road victory. And it’s always a great test for a great team.”

The Buccaneers are coming off a much-needed week off that’s helped players rest and heal, though several key starters still aren’t expected to return for this game. Mayfield has been dealing with oblique and knee injuries. Right tackle Luke Goedeke (knee) is working his way back from injured reserve. Right guard Luke Haggard (shoulder) should return after missing two games. Running back Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder), wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) and edge rusher Haason Reddick (knee, ankle) still need more time.

Maye has somehow been able to have great success this season despite getting pummeled. He’s been sacked 34 times, second behind only Titans rookie Cam Ward (38). Myles Garrett got him five times in a game where the Patriots still beat the Browns.

But Maye said there has been growth in protections that don’t show up in that top-line sack number.

“A lot of the sacks I have taken have been my fault. Been me holding the football,” Maye said. “So, that’s just my mindset of get it out and know that there’s less people covering if they’re blitzing. I’m just trying to be better and keep on growing against where guys are coming from. And what we’re trying to do behind the blitzes. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can of what these defensive coordinators like to do.”

The Bucs have the 15th-ranked defense in the NFL but are tied for fifth in the league with 25 sacks.

The Patriots have been at their best on the road. They’ve won all four of their games away from New England.

Receiver Stefon Diggs said embracing what has garnered them that success on the road is imperative this week.

“This is another test for us. That’s a (darn) good football team,” Diggs said. “Coach says ‘road warriors.’ It’s really that. You’ve got to go into a hostile environment. We’ve got to protect the ball. And you’ve got to be yourself. Who you are has got to travel.”

The Buccaneers are tied for 26th in the NFL in red-zone efficiency, scoring TDs on just 11 of 22 opportunities. The Patriots have the worst red-zone defense in the league, allowing TDs on 15 of 20 opponent trips.

In a win at New Orleans, the Buccaneers ran five straight run plays from the Saints 1 and couldn’t get a yard. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard stuck with the same play each time. They were denied from the 1 on three straight plays later in the game — one run and two incomplete passes — before Sean Tucker finally ran in for a score.

“When you get the ball on the half-yard line, you need to be able to score and generally (by) running it in,” Grizzard said. “The good teams run it in. They’re able to pound people. So, when it comes to that, it comes down to one, the fundamentals and techniques and pad level and how we’re hitting blocks, but then to your point, also opening up a little bit where, if it’s not working, you might need to throw it. That way you can keep these guys honest. But it comes down to pad level and the want-to when it comes to that, because if you get it down there that low, you’ve got to be able to punch that thing in.”

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AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower contributed to this report.

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