The 7-2 Patriots are the most improved team in the NFL halfway through the 2025 season, for plenty of obvious reasons. A breakout, MVP-level QB in Drake Maye – not to mention a veteran No. 1 wide receiver and franchise left tackle to help him. A new, no-nonsense head coach who helped win the first three Super Bowls in franchise history. And — crucially important even if its not as celebrated — the best run defense in the whole league.
The Patriots have allowed 75.4 rushing yards per game this season, the fewest in the NFL. New England also ranks in the top five league-wide in terms of yards per carry (3.6) and rushing touchdowns (3) conceded. That's striking improvement for a unit that ranked in the bottom 10 in yards allowed on the ground in 2024.
The Patriots hired head coach Mike Vrabel and re-built their defense this offseason. The NFL's highest-spending team in free agency splashed the cash on DT Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis , edge defender Harold Landry, and LB Robert Spillane – the only four defensive players that have started all nine games for the team this season.
The run defense has been as consistent as it has been sturdy for New England. In each of their nine games, no individual opponent running back has managed to reach 50 rushing yards. That includes a quartet of backs that rank in the top 10 league-wide in rushing entering Week 10 – James Cook, Rico Dowdle, De'Von Achane and Bijan Robinson.
The only team in the Super Bowl era to hold all opposing RBs under 50 rushing yards in more consecutive games was the 2020 Buccaneers in a season that culminated in a Super Bowl victory on their home turf. The Patriots can match that record 10-game streak this week. Fittingly, it is a road game against the Buccaneers that stands in their way.
The Buccaneers will be without starting running back Bucky Irving for the fifth straight game as he continues to recover from foot and shoulder injuries. Rachaad White has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game in four starts in Irving's absence, while Tampa Bay's rush offense has dropped off from a top 10 unit to 30th in the NFL (72.3 rush YPG) since Week 5.
