This Sunday night will be unlike any other.
"It's big," one fan told NBC10 Boston this week. "Tampa Bay's not coming back here for a long time. Tom Brady will probably be retired before Tampa Bay comes back here."
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Brady and the Bucs arrived at T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island just before 8 p.m. Saturday night, immediately hopping onto several buses waiting on the tarmac to take them to their hotel.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Brady and the team arrived at their hotel in Providence shortly after, with the Bucs QB waving to fans before heading inside.
The crowd enthusiastically greeted the former Patriot, loudly cheering and chanting his name.
For the first time since leaving New England, Brady will face off Sunday against Bill Belichick and the Patriots in the very stadium he called home for two decades.
Diehard fans are split on who to root for.
"I'm a Patriots fan and a Tom Brady fan, so I'm rooting for both teams," one fan said.
But Sunday's matchup could be historic for another reason. Brady could smash the NFL's all-time passing yardage record, and he also has a chance to become just the fourth quarterback ever to beat every NFL team.
Brady downplayed all of the hype surrounding his return to Foxboro this week.
"I haven't thought too much about it. I just am going to try to do what I always do. Try and be a great quarterback," he said.
The Buccaneers are expected to arrive in New England on Saturday night.
Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's big game:
What time is the Patriots game on Sunday?
New England and Tampa Bay are set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. NBC10 Boston's pre-game coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast on NBC10 Boston.
You can watch the game on desktop and mobile by clicking here. For mobile, download the NBC Sports App, if you haven't already. If you already have the app downloaded, you will immediately be directed to the mobile viewing experience.
You can also watch the game on Peacock.
Is it too late to buy a ticket?
Believe it or not, there are still tickets available to Sunday's game. But they won't come cheap.
When the game was first announced, ticket prices soared. So high, in fact, that some season ticket holders were able to sell their tickets to the game and covered the cost of the entire rest of the season.
Even Brady said he's hearing from family and friends looking to get into the stadium.
You can still get tickets, but expect to pay north of $1,000 if you want to sit close. But if you just want to get into the stadium, you can find tickets for about $250.
Is Gronk playing Sunday night?
This question had generated a lot of speculation this week, but it appeared to have been put to rest after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Rob Gronkowski will not play in Sunday night's game.
The team downgraded Gronkowski to out and he did not travel Saturday with the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Gronkowski exited the Buccaneers' Week 3 game with a painful rib injury and didn't practice all week.
He was listed as "doubtful" on the Buccaneers injury report Friday after missing practice once again.
The Buccaneers tight end has "multiple broken ribs" that could keep him out several weeks, Schefter reported Saturday.
Will Brady break the NFL's all-time passing yardage record Sunday night?
This seems likely, as Brady is just 68 yards away from Drew Brees' mark of 80,358 yards that stands as the most ever in the regular season.
If he does accomplish this feat, Brady will add that to his long list of NFL records that already includes most TD passes (591), most wins as a starting quarterback (232), most Super Bowl titles (seven) and most conference championships (10).
No quarterback in NFL history has played more or produced more in a single venue than Brady has at Gillette Stadium. Since first appearing there when it opened in 2002, Brady has made 157 starts in the regular season and playoffs there, winning 134 of them while throwing for 41,285 yards and 304 TDs.
Those marks are all records, with Brees ranking second in yardage (38,192) and TDs (301) at the Superdome, Brett Favre standing at No. 2 in starts (130) at Lambeau Field and John Elway ranking second in wins (104) at Mile High Stadium.
Will Brady and Belichick shake hands after the game?
Many people are anxious to see whether the Brady-Belichick reunion will be awkward or uneventful.
Some people are already making predictions.
"Right at the very end, they'll just give a quick hug, high five, see you later," one fan said Friday.
What does Robert Kraft think about Sunday?
When asked for a comment, the Patriots owner said, "We're going to have some fun."
