Report Cards: Evaluating the Best and Worst Performances for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Preseason Week 4

Aug 29, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback

(6) calls a play at the line of scrimmage against the Washington Redskins during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Redskins won 30-12. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took to the field against the Washington Redskins on Thursday evening, it’s safe to say there weren’t a lot of positive moments to be drawn. The Buccaneers were always a step behind, and by the end of the game wide receivers and defensive backs were playing running back, but here are some performances to remember, or forget, as graded by Pro Football Focus. (To see all the stats and grades for yourself, head over to Pro Football Focus and subscribe to access their premium statistics.)

Offense

Only six members of the Buccaneers’ offense graded out positively according to PFF, and one of them was the unfortunately injured Tom Crabtree.

The highest rated Buccaneer on offense against Washington was Eric Page, who finally got a chance to prove himself as a receiver and did so very strongly in limited snaps. The fact that he only played 9 snaps indicates he’s a virtual lock to make the roster.

Jul 25, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle

(60) runs through drills during training camp at One Buccaneer Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Hillis was next in line on the offensive grades list for the Buccaneers, but his performance was definitely not overwhelming. The Bucs have some tough decisions to make, and Hillis didn’t lose a job Thursday night, but he didn’t win one, either.

Mike Remmers was the only Buccaneer to boast a grade higher than +1 in any area, as his 24 pass blocking snaps earned him a +1.2 grade. Remmers never really seemed like a likely addition to the Bucs’ roster, but he’s been the best offensive lineman all preseason according to PFF’s grades.

That’s held up solely by his pass blocking, as his run blocking wasn’t graded out positively. And he was playing against reserves every time he was on the field. But if the Tampa Bay coaches and front office see the same things Pro Football Focus did, he may have a chance to sneak on the roster as a backup offensive lineman.

You don’t need PFF’s grades to know that there were plenty of players on offense who struggled, but one notable struggler was Mike James. Before he left the game with an injury, he continued his trend of poor grades in pass blocking. James has had some great moments blocking against the pass rush, but overall he’ll need to work to improve in that area.

Defense

Najee Goode was the star of the evening, as the linebacker had more tackles than anyone else, and of course brought home a pick-six on an interception. His 2.8 positive grade was best on the defense.

Fellow linebaker Ka’Lial Glaud had a strong evening, as his three run stop tackles earned him a positive 1.7 grade.

Keith Tandy had the worst night of any Buccaneer defender, as he turned in a -2.2 grade, including a poor performance in pass coverage and some added in negative points in the run defense category as well. Not a good sign for a roster bubble candidate.

Rookie Johnthan Banks also had a disappointing evening according to the grades, as he struggled defending the pass against the Redskins.

The Buccaneers will be using these performances and their own grades and evaluation to trim down the rosters by 6 PM on Saturday. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as we learn who the Buccaneers will keep on the 53-man roster.