TAMPA, Fla. — Mike Vrabel didn’t need to finish the primary half of Sunday’s sport with a area objective. After driving 83 yards to the Buccaneers’ objective line, he needed six.
So, with the Patriots going through fourth-and-goal from the half-yard line, Vrabel stored his offense on the sphere. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels despatched out his two most skilled pass-catchers and put the ball in Drake Maye’s palms.
The outcome: a highlight-reel toe-tap landing to Stefon Diggs.
The veteran large receiver motioned behind tight finish Hunter Henry after which beat security Antoine Winfield Jr. off the snap. Winfield tried to punch the ball as they fell to the turf, however Diggs held on and obtained each toes down in bounds as time expired.
OH MY TOE TAP STEFON DIGGS 🤯
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/M7Zm9LTh6c
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 9, 2025
The landing gave the Patriots their first lead of the afternoon. They scored once more two performs into the second half — on a 55-yard landing scamper by rookie TreVeyon Henderson — and by no means trailed once more in a 28-23 road victory over one of many high groups within the NFC.
“It was an enormous play for us on fourth down, that confidence in our guys,” Vrabel mentioned after the sport. “So to have the ability to have faith in them at that second and them come by, that’s about gamers and never essentially performs. So I used to be actually excited and pleased with Stef and Drake for scoring once we have been and having the ability to finish the half with the soccer in our palms.”
New England’s need to not give Baker Mayfield and the Bucs one other drive earlier than halftime led to some uncommon play-calling earlier than Diggs’ rating.
After a 5-yard Henderson rush put the ball on the 1-yard line and Tampa Bay referred to as its closing timeout with 1:44 remaining within the half, Maye leaned into middle Garrett Bradbury in a half-hearted try at a quarterback sneak. CBS analyst Tony Romo speculated on the published that Maye deliberately didn’t rating so as to bleed extra time without work the clock.
Henderson then was stuffed on back-to-back goal-line carries earlier than Maye linked with Diggs on fourth down.
Vrabel sidestepped a number of questions on Maye’s sneak.
“Like I mentioned, we’re simply actually excited that we may finish the (half with) the ball in our palms on the finish of the primary half after which have the ability to come out within the second half,” he mentioned.
Maye mentioned he “was making an attempt to get in” on the play.
“Huge Vita Vea — it (isn’t) simple to get in with Vita standing there,” the QB mentioned of Tampa Bay’s stout nostril deal with. “I do know the clock — I feel the clock (turned) a factor, so it ended up in all probability understanding for us. However we ended up scoring. That’s all that issues.”
Maye referred to as Diggs’ landing “a toe-tap extraordinaire.” Diggs mentioned he appreciated Vrabel’s aggressive mindset in that second.
“You clearly can inform that he was a participant as soon as,” mentioned Diggs, who caught 5 of his eight targets for 46 yards and recovered the game-sealing onside kick within the closing minute. “He needs to be aggressive. He needs to instill confidence in his guys and allow them to know he trusts us on the market. It’s our job to, late within the down when your coach needs to roll the cube or have some religion in you, making good performs offers your quarterback confidence, offers your coach confidence. It’s simply us moving into the appropriate course as a crew.”
The Patriots went 2-for-3 on fourth down within the sport, changing a fourth-and-1 within the first quarter and misfiring on a fourth-and-5 within the third. Their goal-line conversion allowed them to bookend halftime with two touchdowns — the fascinating double-score — for the second time this season.
“I decided to go for it,” Vrabel mentioned. “I belief our gamers, and so they got here by. They made me look good.”
