Five Things to Watch at Tonight's Patriots-Buccaneers Game

The New England Patriots will play their second preseason contest tonight in Tampa Bay, facing off against the Buccaneers.

Last week, we took a look at the in the Jacksonville game, and we wrapped up the game .

So, what are the emerging storylines for tonight's contest?

1. How much will we see of Brady and company? One of the more impressive things about last week's 47-12 win was the fact that very few starters were involved. The team's second- and third-stringers showed little rust after the long layoff.

What about the starters? Have Tom Brady and Chad Ochocinco built a rapport yet? Will the new secondary (Devin McCourty and Leigh Bodden) mesh? Is BenJarvus Green-Ellis still the bruising back we remember?

2. Can Taylor Price carry over the energy from last week's game? Price, the second-year wideout, looked all-world in the game against the Jaguars, tallying 105 receiving yards. The problem with young players is often consistency — they can change from dominant to ordinary and back quickly.

If Price continues at this level of production, he could be the team's long-term solution at wide receiver. The Patriots would be able to put four viable options at receiver on the field — a scary proposition for opposing defenses.

3. Who will be Brady's backup? Both Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett made strong cases last week to be the second option behind Tom Brady.

The Patriots, though, have been averse to carrying three quarterbacks in the past. Will they keep three this year, taking away a valuable roster spot?

It will be especially notable to see if Mallett builds on last week's performance or regresses. He was a bit shaky initially, before eventually settling down and turning in a fantastic night. Will he be as comfortable against a tougher defense?

4. Will the defensive backfield step up? The overall excellence of the team last week obscured a rather ho-hum performance by the defensive backs — they were bailed out several times by dropped and errant passes.

Bucs QB Josh Freeman is a truer test of this defense than rookie Blaine Gabbert was. Will the secondary improve (if McCourty and Bodden play, that should help)?

5. Will the Pats secure the ball? Another negative from last week was ball security. Aaron Hernandez fumbled twice (losing one), and a bad special teams snap led to a missed extra point.

Was that due solely to the longer-than-usual offseason? After a week of practice and (supposedly) focus on holding onto the ball, will the problem go away or persist?

The game will be televised at 7:30pm on WBZ, Channel 4.