What to look for in Tom Brady’s virtual return to Gillette Stadium

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Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will make their return to Gillette Stadium Tuesday night — virtually.

Courtesy of EA Sports Madden, RADIO.COM Sports will simulate a game between the Buccaneers and Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The game will be shown on multiple social media platforms as well as on WEEI.com with WEEI’s own Jermaine Wiggins and Nick “Fitzy” Stevens on the call.

There will be a number of things to look for in the game, which should make for a fun watch.

Will the Patriots be able to beat Brady and Gronk in their virtual return to Foxborough? Tune in for our Pats-Bucs virtual simulation with @jwiggs85 & @FitzyGFY on the call tonight at 8 right here on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/rC5tyBzmMp

— WEEI (@WEEI) May 19, 2020

1. Can Patriots hang with one of the better teams in the league?

Even though the game is at Gillette Stadium, there’s a chance the Buccaneers run away with things because on paper they are much better than the Patriots, especially on offense. Sure, Stephon Gilmore can likely keep Mike Evans in check, but who is going to cover Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski? Even though New England’s defense is still one of the better ones in the league, Brady has the potential to pick it apart and march down the field with ease on every possession. On the other side of the ball, Tampa’s defense is one of the more underrated in the league and the Patriots have a ton of questions on offense with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback. The potential is there for this to not even be a close game.

2. Patriots offense with Jarrett Stidham leading the way

What will the Patriots offense look like? Will it be a lot of runs with Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and even Damien Harris, or will Josh McDaniels let Stidham loose in the passing game? Our best guess is it will be a new-look Patriots offense with more of an emphasis on the running game to set up third-and-short plays to make it easier on the second-year QB. It will also be interesting to see how second-year players N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers look, as well as veterans Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu, who are coming off injures. If Stidham has good chemistry with all four of them, the offense may be better off than many expect.

3. How does Rob Gronkowski look?

After a year away from the game, there are several questions. Is Gronkowski the same player? How is he used — more of a receiver than a tight end, or is he still blocking on a number of plays as well? It will also be interesting to see how Bill Belichick and Co. defend him. It seems likely it will be mostly on Patrick Chung, but you never know what Belichick has up his sleeve. After all, he has coached Gronkowski for nine NFL seasons, so he has a good idea of what might work best. Also, does Gronkowski have any "Gronk Spikes" planned for if and when he scores a touchdown?

.@Scheimtime has set the lines! https://t.co/5JhyzG7HlT pic.twitter.com/9gZp6CFywd

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) May 18, 2020

4. What does Tampa Bay offense look like?

Will Brady fit right into the Bruce Arians offense that likes to take a number of shots down the field, or will it look more like the Patriots offense with short, quick passes that take some time to get down the field? Given the weapons he has — Evans, Godwin and Gronkowski — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Brady air the ball out more than we’ve seen in recent years, and if that is the case, how does Brady show? Deep passes have been one of the areas he’s struggled in recent years. Also, how is his connection with Evans and Godwin? Is it a work in progress, or are things good right away?

5. How much of a step back does Patriots defense take?

New England lost a number of talented players on defense this offseason including Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts, so it will be interesting to see how the unit looks without them. How will rookies Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings fit in? Will they even have significant roles? Tampa Bay has one of the best offenses in the entire league, so this will certainly be a good test for the new-look Patriots defense.

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