Patriots WR Wes Welker knows what's coming when he and New England line up against the Bucs' secondary on Sunday.

The Bucs are going to challenge Welker and Randy Moss, as they do with every opponent, with aggressive, in-your-face pass coverage.

And the Patriots will do their best to exploit it, something they're very good at.

"A team that's physical like them, you have to be physical back," Welker said, referring to the bump-and-run coverage Tampa Bay plays. "You have to make sure you're out there doing the things necessary to get open, whatever that might take.  They are a very aggressive team (in the secondary) and like to get in your face and you have to be prepared for it."

A little stat comparison to consider: The Patriots have thrown 12 touchdown passes, tied for third-most in the NFL. On the other end of the spectrum, the Bucs have yielded 13 touchdown passes, the third-worst total in the NFL.

-- Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer