The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)

Thursday’s NFL Matchup

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NEW ENGLAND (2-2) AT TAMPA BAY (2-1)

KICKOFF: 8:25 p.m.; CBS/NFL Network/Amazon

OPENING LINE: Patriots by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD: New England 1-3, Tampa Bay 1-2

SERIES RECORD: Patriots lead 6-2

LAST MEETING: Patriots beat Buccaneers 23-3, Sept. 22, 2013

LAST WEEK: Patriots lost to Panthers 33-30; Buccaneers beat Giants 25-23

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: Patriots off to 2-2 for second time in four seasons. Have not had losing record beyond 0-1 since starting 1-2 on way to 12-4 in 2012. … Patriots visiting Tampa in regular season for the first time since 1997, when Buccaneers won 27-7. … Tampa Bay is one of seven teams

Tom Brady (3-0) is undefeated against. Others are Atlanta (4-0), Chicago (4-0), Dallas (4-0), Detroit (4-0), Jacksonvil­le (5-0) and Minnesota (4-0). … Bill Belichick is 4-1 in career against Bucs (3-1 with New England). … With 185 regularsea­son wins as starting quarterbac­k, Brady is one shy of tying Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for most regular-season wins by quarterbac­k in NFL history. He has 25 postseason victories … Brady is first player in league history to have 1,000plus yards passing, at least 10 TD passes and zero intercepti­ons through team’s first four games in two seasons. He also did it in 2015. … Patriots RB James White tied career best with 10 receptions vs. Carolina last week. With 22 catches, he’s tied for second among NFL RBs. … Bucs QB Jameis Winston coming off season-best 332-yard, three-TD, zero-intercepti­on performanc­e against Giants. Overcame two fourth-quarter deficits to beat New York. … Bucs have won six straight home games, with Winston throwing for nine TDs vs. three intercepti­ons. … WR Mike Evans has 20 receptions for 307 yards and two TDs in past two appearance­s on Thursday night. … RB

Doug Martin returns after serving four-game suspension for violating NFL’s policy on performanc­e enhancers. Two-time 1,000-yard rusher hasn’t played in regular-season game since last Dec. 18 at Dallas.

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